We got some very exciting news today. The home office emailed us to say:
I’m sorry, Britain, but this means you’re now stuck with us!
I love living in the UK. I always have. As a 20-year-old I came here on a young person’s working holiday visa and I knew then that I wanted to make it my permanent home. This was despite being broke and not even owning a coat. I flew to London in winter without a coat. I still can’t believe it. I froze but I loved it.
I love the landscapes, the climate, the history, the culture, the people. I’m sorry I’m sometimes opinionated and complain about things – like lack of cycling infrastructure – but that’s just because I want to make the world a better place. I’m very glad they don’t reject applications from people who go to protest marches but that’s one of the things I love about this country. I’m free to think and say whatever I want. It’s the best place in the world to be vegan. The people say sorry even when they do nothing wrong. British TV is the best in the world. And who doesn’t love Pret A Manger and Marks & Spencer?
rachel.blog 
Well said.
Thanks!
aw, well, from one born here and equally enamoured of this place for all its manifest failings, welcome to the madhouse. Obviously the lack of a coat prepared you for Aberdeen! And keep rattling those cages; I love it that my two, now in their twenties, protest and challenge and call out what the see as wrongheadedness, especially in their father. Now all you need to do is learn to speak with an appropriately regional accent… maybe not.
Yes, I think that freezing first winter I spent here has prepared me for all sorts of cold, including swimming in the north sea in January.
I must confess that I’m a little jealous 😊 I’ve never been to the UK, but from what I’ve heard (both the good and the bad) I think I’d like it, too. I was going to be there for three weeks from the 21 Sept this year, but covid put paid to that. Maybe I’ll get there sometime in the next couple of years. Of course, NZ is a great place, too, but in a different way.
This pandemic will be over before too long – I feel confident there’ll be a vaccine soon – and then you’ll be able to resume your travel planning. And NZ is a great place to live too.
Congratulations 🙂
Thanks, Jamie.
Congratulations, Rachel!
It’s great to be able to live in a place where you would love to and feel belonged!
Thanks, Chait. You have been through all this too, I know. We still have to get citizenship – that’s the next step 🙂
We’re very good at complaining about inconsequential things too 🙂
Ah yes, I forgot about that. I’m very good at that one too.
Many congratulations. The world is your oyster, or Aberdeen is!
Thanks, Colin. It certainly feels that way.
Well done. You are a very welcome addition to the UK!
Thanks, Denise 🙂
Congratulations Rachel!
Thanks, Sergio!
Hi,
congratulation on your stay. I too got mail from the home office 2 years ago that I have settled status now after Brexit was voted for. I lived in London many years.
Regrading loving Pret A Manger. I write as a former employee who knows the REAL Pret fro behind the scenes. Many of my current and ex- colleagues have serious reasons to NOT love Pret. I list them here, please scroll down to the screenshots:
> https://expret.org/2019/10/28/caught-in-the-act-at-pret <
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Kind regards.
expret.org
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Thanks for your comment. I’ll check out your blog.
Congratulations, Rachel!
Thanks!
Hi,
I write on Pret A Manger from a behind the scenes perspective. Pret is trying anything to survive including keeping food overnight. Staff leak info that food is expired and customers complain on social media that chicken tastes off or bread is stale etc.
A list of issues here:
https://expret.org/2021/05/04/pret-a-manger-will-indeed-try-anything-to-survive
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