For those of you who don’t know me as well, my mother is English. My dad passed away five months before I was born, and my mum (like the superwoman she is) raised three young children, one of whom is disabled, by herself. That being said, though I’m only half-English by blood, I was raised 100 percent British. I drink tea every day, and I love BBC dramas. Here are just a few things that one comes to know when raised by a Brit in America.

1. Yes, I say “mum.”

The number of times I have told a story about my mother, and it is briefly interrupted by the phrase, “Wait! You say “mum”!? That’s so cute!” Yes, I say mum. At this point, it sounds weird to my ears to hear myself say “mom” like a normal American. When you’re raised by a Brit, you pick up “The Accent” on certain words, and for some reason, people find this absolutely fascinating. Just go with it.

2. Finding English goods is a struggle.

Being the child of a Brit, you also start to pick up certain British tastes, particularly with food. The problem is, most stores don’t carry English products. Your typical grocery store will have very few English brands, if any, and the few it does have may not be truly English. For example, the sale of Cadbury chocolate — one of the most popular brands in the U.K. — is owned by Hershey’s in the U.S., and it is made slightly differently here. My hometown has the fortune of having one glorious shop dedicated to selling English goods: The London Market. If only every town had such a haven.

(And yes, they do have a Union Jack mini cooper)

3. You get labeled as English.

Let me make this clear: by blood, I am half English, half American. As far as citizenship status goes, I only have U.S. citizenship. Yet, for some reason, whenever someone is discussing the U.K., I suddenly defy all international laws and become 100 percent British. It becomes particularly interesting when the Revolutionary War is mentioned, as people somehow expect me to be bitter about “losing,” even though I’m technically American.

4. Imitation accents are the bane of your existence.

I know my British accents (yes, plural accents. There's more than just one). I’ve grown up around them. Sometimes, I’m even told that I have a bit of an accent (please refer to No. 1). I am also all-too-familiar with imitation accents, and oh, are they painful to hear. Americans love English accents, and they like talking in them even more. Trust me, I can spot a fake accent (oh, the number of times I’ve seen a British character in a film or television show being played by an actor that isn’t actually British). Let me use this as a reminder to everyone that just because you’ve seen an episode of "Downton Abbey," doesn’t mean that you have mastered an English accent.

5. You are automatically posh.

Now, this one I actually understand where it’s coming from. Being raised by a Brit, manners always came first. We learned proper table etiquette from the beginning, and we always say please and thank you at every possible occasion. It’s even come to the point where at restaurants, I accidentally say please at both the beginning and end of my sentence when ordering. That being said, being even part-English automatically makes you the prim and proper friend. You’ve basically been promoted to royalty-level as far as how other’s consider your manners.

(Shout out to Davidson's Commons for understanding my plight)

6. You are expected to be an expert on the U.K.

Granted, I know a lot more about the United Kingdom than most Americans because of my family, but I don’t live there. I’ve visited frequently, but only for short periods of time. Apparently, all people with a certain percentage of British blood have a unified knowledge of the U.K., regardless of how much time they’ve actually spent there.

Now finally, and most importantly:

7. Tea fixes everything.

This simple phrase is a rule of thumb in every English household. Tea is good for every and any occasion. Are you happy? Celebrate with a cup of tea! Are you sad? Drown out your sorrow with tea. Are you angry? Tea will calm you down. Sick? Tea will help you get better. A cup of tea is like a hug, and no matter what, we will always find a reason to make a cup of tea.