"We hope to see a Europe where men of every country will think as much of being a European as of belonging to their native land, and that without losing any of their love and loyalty of their birthplace. We hope wherever they go in this wide domain, to which we set no limits in the European Continent, they will truly feel 'Here I am at home. I am a citizen of this country too.'" Winston Churchill

I’ve been getting “European.” Perhaps it’s because I live in a different country from my origin. Perhaps it’s because I live with my Swiss girlfriend and her multi-lingual family (5 languages altogether!)

But also, I see the world changing in a specific way. No longer can we be so localized within our nations, worldwide communication and travel is uniting humanity and transcending local cultural boundaries. Globalisation has taken hold and is in progress, for good or for bad. I hope for the good, of a common humanity and our place within Gaia.

I look through my family tree at my genetic heritage; English with Scottish, Irish, and possibly Welsh and German. That is of the past, but what of the future? I feel myself as defined by my potential future as I am by my inherited past.

But my future isn’t just European, it is a common humanity, coevolving within itself and with the living planet of which we are a part. That I feel has been part of humanity’s destiny even when it first spread beyond Africa, across the globe, diversifying, genetically and culturally. And with our present levels of travel and communication, we are brought closer into a smaller world.

Our mix of different cultures in such a small world can be a very volatile mix where cultures find themselves at odds. But I believe, even through our diversity we can find unity, because at the end of the day, despite cultural, national or racial identity, it is our humanity that remains.