The UK has changed me… except for THESE 9 things

The other day I had a headache and asked my partner for Advil. We didn’t have Advil. We had Tesco ibuprofen, and he knew exactly what I meant, but the Canadian brand name still came out without me thinking about it.

I’ve lived in England for over ten years, and I think of it as my second home. I’ve worked hard to adapt to life here because I believe that’s part of moving to another country. I don’t expect the UK to change to suit me. At the same time, I don’t think adapting means stripping away everything that makes me who I am. Some habits have stayed, and some are still changing.

Watch my video about the habits I’ve kept in England.

Enthusiasm I don’t want to lose

If someone gets a new job or a promotion, my instinct is to tell them how wonderful it is and how happy I am for them. I tend to be openly encouraging. In my experience, British people can be more understated about their own good news, with a “yeah, I’m chuffed” where I’m practically celebrating on their behalf.

Sometimes there seems to be a protective layer of sarcasm around showing that much excitement. I don’t really have that layer. It’s one of the differences I notice between my Canadian habits and the people around me here.

Interrupting is another difference, but that one I would like to lose. I didn’t properly notice how much I did it until I went back to Canada and heard my family doing it too. We’re excited about the conversation and eager to tell each other something, so we talk over one another. It isn’t meant as dismissal.

That doesn’t make it a good habit. In England I’ve noticed myself being the only person interrupting, and I hate it. I’m working on stopping. Keeping the bits of myself I value doesn’t mean keeping a habit that makes a conversation harder for somebody else.

Halloween still matters to me

Halloween was one of my favourite holidays growing up. My mom and I would go to Value Village, buy secondhand clothes and other bits, and put a costume together. Making it was part of the fun, along with scary movies and everyone being out in the neighbourhood trick-or-treating.

I’ve seen some decorated houses and children trick-or-treating in the UK, but it hasn’t felt like the celebration I knew in Canada. When I mention liking Halloween, I often get comments saying it’s too American. I still love it. It can be creative and exciting without the expense and stress I associate with preparing for Christmas.

Trying a food doesn’t mean loving it

I love taste tests, and I’m a big believer in trying something twice. A first taste might be a bad example of that food, or perhaps it just wasn’t the right time for me to enjoy it.

I’ve tried Marmite several times and in different ways. Still no. Pickled onions, Christmas pudding, mince pies, boiled vegetables and mushy peas aren’t favourites either. The spiced fruit in Christmas pudding and mince pies just isn’t for me. There are plenty of other British foods and snacks I’d rather fill up on.

Coffee is another preference that has stayed. I never drank tea in Canada, but I’ve started enjoying it during the last few years in England. Taste tests have helped me find different flavours, brands and preferences, and last winter I liked having a non-caffeinated tea in bed while reading before sleep.

My first drink in the morning is still coffee. If I meet friends in a cafe, I’ll order coffee too, unless we’re somewhere devoted to tea with a binder full of choices. Tea has found a place in my day without taking coffee’s place.

A local pub is still an appealing idea

I don’t drink much anymore, apart from special occasions and taste tests, which makes me feel less involved in pub culture. That’s annoying because I love independent pubs with wood panelling, a fireplace and perhaps a pub dog. I romanticise having a local where people know me and know my usual order, even though ordering a Coke Zero can feel a little pointless to me.

When I think back to moving here at 22, I barely recognise that version of myself. Part of the change is simply growing older, but learning about British culture and being open to experiences have changed me too. I’ve spent more of my adult life in England. I now feel somewhere between Canada and the UK, with parts of both.