"Americanized"

July 13, 2012 was a special day for me. After 5 years and 1.5 months of continuously living in the United States, I officially became an American citizen. Finally a huge break from doing all those immigration paper works and costly processing fees, not to mention the waiting game and emotions involved.

There were 95 naturalization candidates from 42 different countries (including me in my 5 months prego belly), joined by their families at the oath ceremony. The courthouse was packed but it felt good to be in the same room with people who were once in the same journey as I was, people who maybe complete strangers but shared the same joy and excitement I felt that day.