Goodbye, Britain
By: Yu-Chen Li, Sarah
Tags: Goodbye, Britain, Self Improvement, Pandemic Diaries, Letters

Goodbye, Britain

Photo by Liam Truong on Unsplash

Dear Britain/UK,

I’m not sure which name you prefer, but I suppose you don’t really mind.

As you might have already heard of, I’m leaving you tomorrow. We will, therefore, not be celebrating Christmas together this year.

I know it’s such a shame and cruel of me to leave you alone like this, especially at this time of chaos and when your relationships with nearly all your neighbours are officially coming to an end after the New Year’s Eve.

But there’s literally nothing I can do. And since it was your idea in the first place to part ways with them, no one’s to blame. There will always be benefits and drawbacks resulting from the decisions we make, and that’s how we learn, like grown-ups, accepting the consequences they might or might not have thought of.

I think I’m getting too serious and straying from the main subject here. But another topic just occurred to me. And I’d like to ask you now in case I forget after my departure. I wonder what you think, speaking of Christmas, about the advertisement for Sainsbury’s published the other day.

Many people, outraged, said it failed to represent you because you were supposed to be whiter in general while the picture contained too much black. What do you think about it? I was slightly shocked when coming across the news. Does the colour really matter? However pale or dark you look, aren’t you still you?

Anyway, getting to the point, I just want to say thank you before anything else.

I’ve known you since I was so little and you were at the time, simply a household name and distant figure, seemingly unapproachable. And it’s not until my visit in late June 2019 when you allowed me to come and study with you that I finally got to know you.

I could never forget your warm welcome, albeit other people told me that it was not the real you as you’d actually been forced by some heatwaves to act way more passionate than usual.

That made me feel bad for you. I wish in the future you could cool down a little bit and just be yourself.

And here’s a huge thank you for the excellent education you provided me with! Throughout my study in Journalism, I’ve learned way more than I’d ever expected.

Seriously, it’s a life-changing and passion-boosting experience for me, though I do feel that everything would be perfect if the tuition fees I had to pay were not that exorbitant. Apart from that, I have no complaints.

You’ve made every single one of my days an exciting adventure, giving me different daily challenges to keep my minds off homesickness. I was soon accustomed to all the aspects of my new life with you except for the food.

I’m so sorry to be this blunt, but it’s no secret across the world that the taste of your food is not that ideal. And believe me, there’s nothing you need to feel ashamed of. You are good at a lot of things; cooking is just not one of them.

Besides, your mood swings, one of the things you are notorious for, turned out not as terrible as people say. Despite your sudden emotional change that occasionally happened from crying like downpours to smiling like sunshine on the same day, you are in general a bright person, especially during summer.

Oh! And I’ve never told you. Back home in Taiwan, you are highly regarded. The majority are under the impression that you’re gentle, polite, and elegant, which I half agree because it’s only true when you’re sober.

Also, they think you’re good-looking and attractive, obsessed with your posh accent. What they don’t know is, you’re capable of tons of different accents; I can hear so many of them throughout the whole day as if switching between TV channels while some require me to turn on subtitles.

Another attraction is, of course, your western style. Those classic European ornaments and accessories of yours are rare to see in our culture and thereby desirable.

But aside from these outer qualities, there’s something I’d like to spit out. I’ve been biting my tongue for so long not to hurt your feelings. Now, I think it’s time to bring it up.

Would you mind considering making tidiness one of your virtues? Those tips, flying rubbish, and empty cans are literally everywhere, scattered all over the place and moved around by seagulls. I hope you can start cleaning them up and stop throwing litter on the ground but into the bin.

As mentioned, you have great charm on the outside, competent to dress yourself up like an angel. Isn’t that equally important to make your surroundings as gorgeous as how you look? Otherwise, those who admired you at a distance will get disappointed at best; a heart attack at worse, when seeing your place during their visits.

I should probably stop nagging, or you might refuse to read further. I just think we are close enough to be this frank and open after living together for one and a half year. Needless to say, it’s nearly impossible for our relationship to be superficial since it’s built on shared difficulties in the middle of the worst global crisis.

2020 has been, as cliched as it might sound now, a tough year, during which normality was drifted away before everyone’s eyes, yet no one was able to turn the tide and avoid the loss.

It’s also a year full of helplessness and uncertainty while for me, being physically away from my family just made everything even more terrifying, and it’s certainly had a toll on my mental health.

But oddly, I’m glad I chose to stay with you.

Even if doing so didn’t give me any sense of protection, safety and comfort because you’ve seemed to be hit hard by COVID yourself, left bruised and battered, becoming less vigorous as you used to be – still, I have no regret about having travelled all the way here just to see you up close and personal.

Why?

I think it’s because this crazy pandemic year would not be as special as it is without you. Nor would my story be as dramatic. All the things we’ve been through together create a memory in which you are inseparable.

It’s you who’ve given me opportunities to try, space to grow and room to make mistakes. You showed me a whole new world where my eyes were open in a way as though I was once blind. I have become more critical, independent and confident. Or, perhaps, bolder.

Not exaggerating, I’ve become who I am because of you. I will never ever forget this journey and the time we spent together. I believe there’s a strange bond between us. The link is probably too strong to fade away no matter how much time wears on.

Gosh, I didn’t intend to be this sentimental and affectionate. Given all the hardship I’ve had with you, to be honest, I thought all I want really was to turn my back on you and run towards home exuberantly with the least possibility of shedding a single drop of tears.

But I have to admit; when writing this letter, I got quite emotional.

Perhaps saying goodbye to someone important is never easy, even though I felt like I was more than ready this time.

I believe one day at some point not far away from now on, I will see you again. Hopefully, by then, both of us will look a little more different with further improvement and growth.

As for now, I’ve got to move on, turn the page and start the next chapter of my life.

Wish me luck, would you?

Nonetheless, I’ll still be following up what’s new about you. So, keep in touch. There’s gonna be more challenge for the years to come. Please stay safe and take care.

And before I make my final farewell to you lightheartedly but not lightly, could you pretend I’m standing right in front of you saying it in a whisper followed by a contented smile?

(inhaling deeply…Ready?)

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Goodbye, Britain.

Best,

Yu-Chen