To be homesick for the UK

[twiney]

I'm a little hungover and had a rough day yesterday and it's triggered a bout of homesickness for the UK. Any other expat MNers feeling homesick for their country?

I miss...

The humorous trashy aspect of Christmas

The free-form approach to womanhood

Pubs

The love of newness and creativity

The acceptance of difference

My friends

The sea and the faded kitschness of coastal towns

The flexible playfulness of using English

There are more. But as Christmas draws nearer and nostalgia kicks in, having tried to integrate here and doing an okay job ploughing on with it, I just wanted to say it out loud: I miss you, UK, I miss your no-nonsense women, an attitude I can still just about hold onto through the various personalities on MN.

I miss you and love you!

Where r you Twiney? Which country?

Oh come on, Royston Vasey????

I can tell you that my part of the UK, Manchester is a progressive, creative, cosmopolitan and youthful city. The people are open-minded, have a fantstic sense of humour and are very welcoming. I love it and would go back there tomorrow if I could!

Are you east or west coast @Twiney? My first one here and it really doesn’t feel like Christmas to me. Although the howling wind and rain helped at the weekend.

I've lived in Australia for 25 years and I still get strong bouts of homesickness, especially at Christmas. We went back to the UK this time last year, for 6 weeks, and I'm feeling pretty miserable that we can't do the same thing again this year. It's just so expensive for the 4 of us.

A hot sunny Christmas will just never feel "right" to me, no matter how many of them I experience.

@WhenLoveAndCakeCollide

We live in a lovely area of the Chicago metro area

Nice part of the country. How do you cope with the severe winter weather? What type of heating do people there use? Is heating your home very expensive?

I hear you! I love the UK and wouldn't live anywhere else, I'm lucky enough to travel a fair bit with work and love it but am always happy to return home. A friend recently emigrated to NZ and I fear she's made a big mistake. Rather her than me.

I've been abroad for 11 years now, and two to go. I miss the UK even though I go back about 4 times a year. It's the ease of being able to navigate the bureaucracy; knowing where you can buy specific things; and understanding how it all hangs together, that I miss here.

I miss:
The pub
Mince pies
Some of the christmas music
Christmas lights

Dont miss:
The pressure to be social
People being pissheads

I live in Australia and I enjoy less obsessive, less frenetic way Christmas is done here. People are just as excited for the start of the summer holidays as they are for Christmas and it’s that summer holiday atmosphere and peoples feeling of relaxation I most enjoy compared to Christmasses in the UK. I’ve not been back for a UK Christmas and really don’t miss the cooped up, cold and darkness of it, but miss some of the traditions like brass bands, carol singing and lights and community effort that the uk goes to to make Christmas a bit special. On Christmas Day in Aus the trains will run, bins will get emptied by the binmen, fair number of shops and a few cafes open still. It’s still a big holiday but not “everything stops” which I think is quite unique to the UK. Guess I will always be a bit conflicted as I did enjoy some parts of uk Christmas but I don’t miss a cold Christmas enough to go back for it. I’d far rather visit and use my annual leave visiting the UK in summer when there is more on and the place is more “alive” , festivals on, and folk in a good mood to be honest. 2 weeks hol in the UK in winter just because it’s Christmas.....not so keen!

I feel the same way, here in Brazil it's summer too and everyone's full of Christmas spirit by cleaning their pools and preparing the bbq, people always ask me how we cope with a hot Christmas. It' s a tough but someone has to do it

Merry Christmas all, wherever in the world you may be!

Fuck no, I’m holidays somewhere hot and sunny and contemplating missing my flight home and getting a job here as a waitress. 😎

Biber Me too! 🙁💜

Yeah well you come back you'll find that Britain died. Crapped to death by the brexiteers

Oh, tosh, you miserable lot. The UK and the majority of the people that live here are fab. I lived in Belgium for two years and missed the UK so much I came back (although Belgium is lovely, for what it's worth). Brits have a sense of humour that is ours alone.

I want to escape but I can't think of a feasible plan. I'd run away to Europe if I was sure we'd be allowed to stay/work etc. I'm homesick because I'm sick of home.

I lived in an Arab country for two years. One day I heard Danny Boy on a radio in a shopping mall. It took the feet from me. I dissolved into tears, sobbing inconsolably. It lasted for about a half hour. I shall never forget it.