I Am a U.S Citizen!!

So as you can tell from the title, yesterday was a monumental moment in my life.  I’ve transitioned from being an alien to becoming a proud American :).  The whole process was rather involved, but I’m glad I made it through.

I had to go to San Antonio again, Trinity University to be exact, to take the oath and receive my certificate of naturalization.  I thought I’d be going alone, but Tim took the day off so he could accompany me!  How sweet is he?  I bet he quickly regretted this though as the day turned out to be the longest day of our lives!

First, we got up at 4:30am to head out the door by 5:45.  We got to school at 6:50 (although my class is at 8, parking is horrendous so I try to account for that), and I gave Tim a tour around campus.  I checked him in at the library (felt like a mom sending her child to school) and went to my class, Medical Nutrition Therapy.

I had to be present promptly by 11:49 (interesting…) at the Trinity University auditorium, so we headed straight there from school.  Then we waited..waited…and waited some more.  The ceremony started at 2, but there were A LOT of people to be checked-in and seated.

Poor Tim…but I was soo thankful that he came with me.  Imagine having to do this all by myself without anyone to complain talk to!  We couldn’t go anywhere, so the tiniest the most expensive concession hotdog was in order.  Tim somehow managed to make it fancy-looking and more appetizing.  Hmm..don’t be fooled..it was a lot smaller!

And the time finally came!  There were 873 people present and 87 different countries represented!  Can you believe?

(Photo via Tim…I’m way up in the front somewhere)

I sat between two guys, one from Somalia and the other from England. Neat, eh?  The surge of emotions (elation, sense of accomplishment, relief, pride, eagerness) and the vibrant energy that filled the auditorium were unmistakeable.

August 30, 2012…I Am an American!

By the time we got back into Austin, it was 5:30pm.  As we had plans to attend a concert at 8 in downtown, we just hung out in the area.  At this point, I really wanted to go home..However, I knew how much this concert meant to Tim, as his friend was performing, so I didn’t have it in me to suggest it.  It was the least I could do for my handsome trooper ;).

Now I introduce you to the one and only Austin singer songwriter, Betty Soo.  How did I hear of her?   She and Tim are college buddies and served on a praise team together for a campus ministry.  She writes a lot about the heartache and hardships in life and relationships.  Her incredibly clean and angelic voice comes across very heartfelt and emotionally stirring in her music.  Not only is she popular here in Texas, but she’s also catching on in Europe and Canada!

I don’t know how to upload videos onto my posts, but please please..do check out this clip!  “Whisper My Name”….it’s quickly becoming one of my fav songs!

She also had a lot of her friends join her on stage.

Although I was exhausted by the time it was over and couldn’t wait to throw myself in the shower (I sweated profusely all day long!  So gross…), it was the perfect way to end my first day as a citizen ;).

Question:

Did you check out Betty Soo’s video clip?  If not, DO IT and let me know you think! 😉