Do you love the UK?

[Annabella92]

Or Britain? Or England, or Wales, or Scotland, or NI, or Spain, or the US, or Canada, or Ghana, or Greece or wherever you hail from. Do you love it? What do you love about it? AIBU to wonder if any of it is real?

Yes I do. But I have lived in other countries that are not democratic and women don't have the rights we have.

So I love the UK for that alone.

What about you @Annabella92 ? You haven't told us how you feel.

I used to. I don’t anymore.

I'm from here, and I love it.

But I've travelled around and know quite a bit about cost of living/workers and women's rights in other countries through my job so I can see we actually have a pretty good deal here (IMO).

Not anymore as so many people here think my family members are not British and should not be here.

I do.

What do you mean by is it real?

Is this like thinking Finland isn’t real or there’s something in the water or the Earth is flat?

Yes. I would never want to move to another country.

Yup. I love the soft light and the temperate climate. The castles, the quirky streets, the greeness, the fact that wherever you are you're not far from coast, countryside or city. The music, films and comedy. The diversity. Some of the most stunning scenery I've seen anywhere in the world. That compared to much of the world, it feels safe and free. That every single person I know and love is here and that they could move as far away as possible within the country, and still be pretty close. I moan with the best of them about cost of living, poor services, rain, the housing crisis and (worst thing) the terrible wealth inequality that hurts so many people. But I still believe that to live here makes me very fortunate indeed.

Yes, because I live in Dorset and I genuinely think it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. When the morning mist rolls across the fields, it makes my heart sing.

No, I don't. I love my family, I love good books and beautiful natural spaces and music. I have no patience for patriotism, nationalism, jingoism or any of the ignorant crap that goes along with it. Politically I see nothing to be proud of. The whole "love my country" thing leaves me entirely cold.

"AIBU to wonder if any of it is real?"

What are you wondering is real? Someone's love for their country? Or are you wondering if the countries themselves are real? This is the sort of comment that can turn a thread real quick. 😂

'But I still believe that to live here makes me very fortunate indeed'

Couldn't agree more. I love the UK, it's my home by choice rather than by birth. It's far from perfect, but there are so many wonderful things about it, and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else

I think countries are like families, you can love them without thinking they are perfect. I'm Scottish and I love my country but there are definitely things about it I don't like!

I like England sometimes.
Visited Swansea and was not impressed.
Edinburgh one NYE - beautiful!
Ghana- loved it!
US - love/hate relationship.
Greece - enjoyed it.
Canada/Spain/NI - yet to visit.
My birth country- cry every time I leave, so making plans to retire there.

Is what real?

I agree with every word of this. For all its (many) flaws I believe everybody in the UK is lucky to be here. It's not that we're the only lucky ones or the best, just an acknowledgement that most countries in the world do not afford their citizens or residents the same level of safety and freedom that we have. Especially when you don't just think globally but throughout all of human history as well.

Yes I love it. I have lived in many different countries but I always love returning to the UK for the people, the seasons, the freedoms, the landscape. I feel fortunate to have been born here.

Journo??

I love it from the perspective that it’s my home, it’s where I have lived the vast majority of my life. I have good friends and happy memories here. It has formed me.

I also love a lot about it: I like the people who are considerate and have a good sense of humour. I love the tolerance and moderate approach to most things and the overwhelming kindness of many people. I love the cities and the landscape. I love the history, the music, the food.

I don’t think the UK is in a great place now though. I think our national self esteem is awful, our economy is sclerotic and it’s hard to feel optimistic about it. And I hate with a passion the people who thought turning us into a group of insular, suspicious and backward looking bigots was a manifesto for our future.

I like England/the UK. It's home and feels like home. I don't love it though. I don't love my home country either. I don't really do patriotism/nationalism stuff.

Don't forget the cheese. I'm not kidding. As a forriner who has been living in this country for more than two decades, I think cheese is one the best things about Britain.

Yes! I love the people, the quirky traditions like cheese rolling and morris dancing, I love the weather and our obsession with it, I love our countryside and also our capital city with its architectural diversity. I love British food, and country pubs and school uniforms for kids. I love all the different accents, I love our diversity and free speech, democracy and the nhs. Are there problems and frustrations? Absolutely yes but I'm proud to be British and also to be English

Sometimes....

I’m only British by accident of birth. I didn’t plan it. I had no say in it.
What’s to celebrate about that?

No. I love the EU and I cherished being a citizen of it, as somebody whose grandmother fled the Soviet invasion of Hungary to the UK, while other members of her family settled in Austria. I'm less tolerant of the UK since I lost my freedom of movement.

There’s elements I like, but it’s not a love, if I had the wealth and health to move I would.