…..Also Scandinavian, but we will get to that later….

It’s been a minute since I was last in the UK. Yep been a long time! But somethings never change, no matter how long it has been and this includes the Queen of England.

Queen Elizabeth has reigned for seventy years! In a week all of UK and it’s commonwealth countries will be celebrating this remarkable milestone of her reign as the platinum jubilee. There will be street parties, concerts and the royal family in all their finest parading through the streets. Think what 4th of July to us in the US, minus royalty and pomp.

So…..why am I am I mentioning this?

Not only is my birthday fall during jubilee week, it gives me an excuse to be all British and eat all the Cadbury chocolate I can get my hands on while staying up into early morning watching Trooping of the Color on the BBC News Channel. Not to mention having a jubilee lunch after church with Coronation Chicken and a Victorian Sponge Cake with chocolate filling with berries on top in whipped cream.

This may sound like I just want to party for the sake of party, but that is far from the truth. I grew up on all things British.

As long as I can remember my Sunday nights were spent watching British murder mysteries, Masterpiece on PBS and A&E of adaptions of famous British author’s books. I grew up with Winnie the Pooh, devoured the Harry Potter books, read Jane Austen’s novels, spent a lot of time in the garden and learned to be a proper British rose from my Nana.

I will take my tea in anything, a cup, a mug, bone china cup, Turkish tea glass, water bottle, or shot glass. I like it cold, hot or lukewarm. I don’t put sugar in my black tea, nor milk (milk is for coffee IMHO), and my favorite tea is Riboos. I own a Brown Betty tea pot with a tea cozy knitted by my Nana which is the cutest thing ever. At work I store my tea bags in a tin in the shape of a red phone booth with a British bobby petting a dog.

I have been to England twice in my life, first when I was just a year old and then when I graduated from high school. Stepping off the plane at Heathrow Airport felt like home away from home. Seattle’s weather of rain to London’s had nothing to do with it as I boarded the a bus out of London for the suburbs. A few years later I would fly over the island nation on my way to Dublin Ireland on my way back from Ethiopia. I remember watching from the window of the plane the green hedgerows outline the many fields and towns of southern England. I felt for the first time in the last few days of my African trip I was on my way home.

Yet I’m still an all American girl at the end of the day.

Still American not because of my passport, but where I grew up. Even when family members move to another country, they still bring parts of their culture, their values, and their comfort food. One side of my family grew up in England, while one side grew up in the United States. As I mentioned above, I am Scandinavian as well, and that comes out at times when I am in a social setting. Me mentioning you have a beautiful home really is telling of my Danish-ness, but also my British-ness when I ask about your garden too.

As many Americans did, I too stayed up into the wee hours of the morning watching both royal weddings, and taking a pause on Christmas morning to watch the Queen’s Christmas Speech as I make Christmas breakfast. I still keep up with the royal going ons, keep up with family and friends currently living over there. And one day I will be back to visit.

So why is it important I celebrate the upcoming jubilee?

Because this will be the last time for a long time of celebrating a jubilee and after what the world has been and is going through, we all need something to celebrate in life.

Happy Platinum Jubilee Your Majesty, Queen Elizabeth! Long may you reign!