It wasn’t until I left Britain to travel the world, that I truly understood my love for the UK, Europe and all of the adorable characteristics our continent possesses.
KAYAK Love Letters
KAYAK Love Letters are celebrating personal travel stories in Europe, in the hope of bringing us all a little closer together. Today I’m professing my love for you, Great Britain and Europe.
I’m putting it out there, that no matter what country we’re from, we should all support, trust and believe in each other. We’ve achieved so much together and our relationship is special.
Upload your own Love Letter on social media
Choose a European country dear to your heart and express why you love it so much. You could talk about the experiences and memories you treasure from there, the locals you met and the friendships you forged. Use the hashtags #loveurope and #KAYAKloveurope, then upload your video to social media to spread your message.
My Love Letter to Britain and Europe
Dearest beloved Britain
Forgive me for being oh so bold and brash but
I love you
And for that, I am unabashed
Here is my love letter to you
Deeply sincere
Heartfelt and true
I love your rugged coastlines and lush green peaks
The strength of your raindrops, brushing against my rosy chilly cheeks
The sound of pint glasses tinkling in your quaint country pubs
Whilst we’re all getting down and dirty in our underground nightclubs
Your humour is the blackest I’ve ever heard
Monty Python and Jimmy Carr are truly absurd
Your sarcasm will forever be unique and oh quite obscene
I raise my hat off to you Mr. Bean
It tickles me pink how your favourite word is ‘sorry’
Even when the situation may not require that word from you at all…
Yet ‘sorry’ is now a deep threaded part of your intricate cultural fabric
And that’s OK Britain
You can say it if you wish…
Because after travelling through many different cultures
I now understand how much my personal space means to me as it does to you
There’s only so close we can stand together when we’re strangers
Until you start to passively aggressively signal for me to shoo
Unless we’re standing on the Tube together…
Then we can get right up in each other’s bespoke garments
Saying sorry to each other more than we usually do
As the carriages jolt and thrust us together
Until we mind the gap and proclaim ‘adieu’
You taught me the force of girl power at just the right time
I owned a pair of Adidas bottoms for one week thanks to Sporty Spice
But then I became my own woman and discovered my love for being me
And you let me express myself
Boldly, bubbly and bravely
You’ve brought me into a country with so much opportunity
My passport has granted me the power to teach English wherever I wish
I am eternally grateful for it
Oh to be a Brit…
Whatever the situation, tea is the answer
After a walk and five pints of beer,
We just need to pop the kettle on
Keep calm and carry on
I promise you I’ll never forget the milk
And enquire
What exact shade of brew
You love and require
Because Lord knows the wrong shade of tea
Will cause a little kerfuffle between you and me
11am or 4pm
Or any hour that Parliament does allow
If you’re not drinking tea, it’s beer o’clock
I’ve never understood why you end up having five more than you should
But I promise to put you in a black cab and get you home safe
For me, you would.
The cutest thing about you is your obsession with the weather
I’m not sure whether you care if it rains or shines but
I have my umbrella packed in my rucksack for you
A little shelter from the elements for just us two
The sun only puts his hat on one week a year for us
But by gum, you sure do give it some welly when it does
You’re out there in your white vest tops and shorts
Buying cans of Stella and 99 ice creams
But the next day you’re as red as a lobster
And for the rest of the year you still try to look good
Plastering tan on yourself like those stars in Hollywood
Your fascination with a 22cm ball baffles me
Marmite, Pot Noodles and Beanz Meanz Heinz
Lashings of gravy all over golden roasted tatties
Mushy Peas
Good old chip butties
Brown sauce, applesauce, rhubarb and custard
Pasties packed with steak and mushrooms
Layer upon layer of jam and clotted cream
Shepherd’s pie
Fish fingers from Birdseye
Vindaloo curry and a cheeky McFlurry
The unbeatable pleasure of digging into a plate of salty, fresh, fish and chips
And the sweet sticky smears of cider glistening on lips
As your summer festival flags gently wave in the wind
Do not dare to stand on the left
Your time is precious and the Big Smoke knows it
Yet there you are
Standing in line
Gladly letting the seconds tick away as queuing is fine
I wonder if you love your dog more than me
You showed me that there’s magic in a wizarding world
And what’s branded as impossible
Can sometimes be solved with hard work and brains at 221B Baker Street
If we end up in the zombie apocalypse together,
I have a box of vinyl records ready and waiting for us
And if we get into a sticky situation, I’ll call Austin Powers
And we’ll be all groovy baby
It’s time to combine our love for one and all together
So we can look back on this and proclaim
‘True Love Won’
Very nice post! I love your love letters. Sometimes, it just feels good to write to someone/thing. Thank you for sharing!
And thank you so much for reading! I love this project and hope Kayak Love Letters brings Europe a little closer together.
What a gorgeous way to show off all the best part of the places you love! Beautiful photo of you standing on that jetty too :)
Thanks Dominique! That photo is from my recent trip to the British island of the Isle of Wight! It was absolutely stunning there. It used to be a childhood holiday destination for me but I decided to go back there this year. So many adventures can be had on that island. I highly recommend it :)
i agree …tea is the answer ! finally some positivity amongst all the negative noise !!
That’s exactly what I set out to do Hal! We gotta celebrate the positives. Thank you so much <3
Your letter aptly describes the beautiful characteristics of Great Britain. It’s like being transported to the English culture. Really nice walking the streets of Great Britain through your letter.
What a lovely comment thank you Ivan <3 There is so much to be celebrated about British culture but also recognise how amazing Europe is together as a continent :)
This is so beautiful and so needed! Tea for all and lets surround ourselves with good vibes! thanks!
Maybe world peace is possible through the power of a cup of tea. We can only hope :)
Oh I love this! It made me laugh and feel all warm and cosy inside. I love Britain, I can’t imagine living anywhere else and even though our country is going through some tough times right now, we always manage to get through them..
Aw that is so sweet, I loved your love letter to Britain. I am proud to be a Brit as well and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else! x
Such a lovely, heartwarming letter. My cousin has made Europe his second home and has been living there for almost 20 years. I know the times are confusing. I can only wish that someday, one day, all that will ever reign is peace.
Well said. Times are confusing. Hoping for stability, clarity and for everyone to get along regardless of sex, race, religion or opinion.
This is absolutely the sweetest! Such a heartfelt letter and a great way to bring us all closer! I love it! XO
Thank you Anna! So happy you enjoyed the letter. Britain and Europe mean a lot to me :)
Great post article and all the pictures are stunning . Thank you for sharing your beautiful story
That was a fun and a well-written letter. Great job! I’ve actually learned a lot from your letter like how the weather is unpredictable in britain, the food that looks really delicious, how important tea is to everyone, etc. good read!
Hi Yvonne :) The British population are a quirky lot. Tea really does run the nation haha :D
and thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed a good old slice of Britain <3
Oh my God! I flipping’ love this! You’ve really made my day with this love letter. These and many many more reasons are why I love the UK so much – my adopted country! ❤️❤️❤️
Yay Theresa! Glad you love the letter :D and you capture the UK so well yourself. Keep up with the amazing photography x