I am a Brit, born and bred. I elected to depart the country of my birth in favour of seeking new horizons in Vienna, Austria. In the 3 years since, I’ve noticed seismic shifts in my sense of Britishness – more specifically, Englishness. It’s morphed and I’ve metabolised it – and it’s a big part of how I look at the world today.
Britishness – Milk, No Sugar
I do not miss the UK. I do not miss Britain. I’m referring to myself today as British as I have English, Scottish, and Welsh roots – all 3 countries on the island of Great Britain. I feel, as it were, British. Within Britishness, I’m certainly marked most deeply by my sense of Englishness. I was born in Watford and spent the first 18 years of my life between Hertfordshire and Devon.
As soon as was possible, I jumped right out of this context. At the first available opportunity I hopped on a plane to Vienna in search of pastures new. With just a single backpack and a decent understanding of German, I had abandoned ship from HMS Britain.
Teething problems inevitably arise when moving places, not least in a foreign language. After a while, as I got to know the locals personally, a spotlight was held up to that identity forged over a childhood spent on England’s pastures green.
All things quaint and curious
The first thing I noticed upon arrival in the continent was that my stock had risen rather significantly. Suddenly it was interesting to be from “near London, or from London, depending on your definition of London.” I was a reflection of all things Harry Potter, Harry Styles and Prince Harry.
My Britishness intermingled with my own personal identity in a completely different way – I was more uncommon. Or was I just odd?
I’ve started to think in the last 6 months that my decision to move countries could be, to a small degree, down to my desire to hide my own ‘oddness’. Oddities are less conspicuous in a different culture. I was no longer weird, I was now British – my underlying sense of Britishness was now at the forefront of how everyone around me viewed me. Or, at least that’s how it feels to me.
“Close your eyes and think of England”
I’ve written many poems about Britain and my own individual sense of Britishness. I won’t share those with you today (I’ll save them for a rainy day down the road, so to speak.) How the UK is viewed internationally directly influences how those very same people view me as an individual.
From my balcony seats over in mainland Europe, I’ve watched the true Shakespearean downfall of the land I once called home. Since 2020, the UK has been broiled in endless political scandals and controversies. To echo many other opposition politicians and commentators, they’ve given up in favour of trying to save their own skin. David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak – that truly is a cavalcade of incompetence and lunacy if I’ve ever seen one.
Recently, I’ve tried to avert my gaze from the flames, and instead open my arms to the rest of the world. I’m currently dating a Colombian, living with 2 Austrians, have an Italian and many Austrians as close friends. Each brings a unique attitude to life and manner of expression. Each can help you to see the world in a different way.
Hello World, Goodbye Britishness
I’m no longer putting all my eggs in the one basket of Britishness, and I’m instead opting to view it as a singular part of my national identity. There is a great deal to write about what it means to say such a thing. For now, I just mean that I consider myself a ‘World Citizen’, rather than a ‘Brit’ or an ‘Englishman’. I no longer feel completely reflected in His Majesty’s Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
As hinted at previously, I do intend to delve deeper on this topic. In every sense of the phrase, I’m ‘learning on the job.’ Diving deeper, I think, will probably require me to air my views and see how they develop.
I’d love to hear what you think about Britishness, or your own national identity. Please feel welcome to get in touch over my About page – or leave a comment to let me know your opinions. Just try to be nice.
Keep coming back to louisglen.net regularly, as December’s theme will be “Culture”. I’ll be posting every Wednesday and Sunday throughout the month, so please stay tuned!
All the best.
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