It is time to renew my passport to be able to renew my green card and go visit my family back home.
Well......I swear...It is easier to adopt a child than renew my French passport... So much paper work...So many trips to San Fransisco where the French Ambassy is. No work can be done by mail. Why does my country make it so hard for me to live here?
After many nights stressing about it...it came to me. Why not. Become American. You love this country...You build your life here. You support Capitalism. Love politics...Love the land....Your husband is American, your kids.....This is a free country and i feel safe here.
It was not a hard decision.....I checked the USCI web site HERE.
This is the government web site. Other webs are just people trying to get your money from you.
I have to congratulate the USCI and their website. It is clear. Easy and complete. It took me one evening to get all the papers filled out and ready. All photocopies i needed gathered. I understood it all. I know the steps. They also give you all the material to study for your final interview. I was exited about their Politics and history material. Loved it. I am very exited to memorize it all....
My story is very easy. 3 kids. American husband. Lived more than 12 years in states. No felony....
No problems to get papers!!!
What i thought would be a very scary and intimating experience ended up being very easy and exiting. I am happy. Sending out my papers on Monday...
2010 is really a new beginning and new journey for me.
Oh, I am so happy for you! I love this country and consider it such a blessing to live here. I am so happy for you...I think you must be meant to be here! :D
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that is so great. I hope it all goes so smoothly for you.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Hi: I am new to your blog. What good news. I am delighted for you. It is a blessing to have a wonderful lady like you become a part of this great country. Blessings American! Martha
ReplyDeleteOh wow! Congrats! That is so exciting! I cannot wait to hear more!
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow!! This is GREAT news!! Wishing you well on this transition!! Happy Days are on their way!! :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome news! Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteI am American and a lot of my friends have been moving to France lately, so it's refreshing to hear a story from the opposite perspective. Lol.
Oh, and my dad became an American citizen 35 years ago when he moved here for grad school. (He is from India). We celebrate his citizenship day every year. :)
Bon Chance!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for you I hope it goes by quickly.
Congrats! that is great news! I will probably have to go through that at some point (Australian marrying an American and living here in the US) so glad to hear you have had a good experience thus far. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that it was easy doing the papers, etc, as it was! My BIL had to renew his license, but lost his birth certificate. It took him over a year for them to get it straightened out, that he was an American! They kept wanting to see his valid driver's license haha. Glad it's going good for you.
ReplyDeleteOooo congrats!
ReplyDeleteYay, I can comment now. Merci pour avoir fait le nécessaire!
ReplyDeleteYou know what, I've been through the same pondering regarding getting what you now have - a French citizenship. I'll definitely do it when I will have been married to a Frenchman - which I am - for four years. I'll be thus able to launch the process in 2012. I said to my husband that I'll be so proud to become French. And that I'll celebrate it with a glass of champagne on the Champs-Elysées. I love Paris, France too. And just like you over there, I'm here to stay:)
Bonjour ma chère française/americaine!!!
ReplyDeleteIl nous faut la perseverance! And look at the results! Bravo for hanging in there; I know that you will succeed. I think that is wonderful that you WANT to become an American. My husband on the other hand, wants to go to France for retirement!
I so enjoy your blog and seeing your pretty face pop up on my comments page! I post only on Friday nights or Saturday mornings because my teaching job doesn't allow for me to post daily...but I will look for you and come visit when I can! I would so much love to be "copines" and follow you!
Bonne journée ma belle! Anita
Hello! :)
ReplyDeleteIts a big and sure the right decision for you... ;)
A Mum want to be the same like kids, i think.....
But you are what you are...european und french....it is your identity....your lovely language....and a little bit every time in your life...and i like the mix :)))
Sorry for honesty, please dont misunderstand me....
Greetings : ~)
kathy
C'est la vie! So bureaucracy dindn't make it to stop you for being a happy person... Congratulations mon chéri!!
ReplyDeleteWishing you much good luck during this process ;-) Keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteyay! one of my German friends became a citizen after 20-some years and wonders why she didn't do it years ago. how exciting!!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful news, I'm sure all will go well for you. We do have opposite stories, I'm an American in France, but it is exciting on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to true love!!
ReplyDeleteBonne chance my friend.
Thanks for such lovely comments and encouragements...
ReplyDeleteJennifer, i think i will celebrate the date of becoming American too.
Karen, it is taking me 2 years to do my French passport. They keep on changing the requirements and papers needed. Adding each time more papers. It is the same for me. They keep on asking a valid passport to do all the papers....LOL Big mess....
Kathy, you said the right things...This is like a feel.
Janean...Yes, i should have done it 6 years ago. I wonder too why i did not do it..
XOXO to all.
I am so glad that it is smooth thus far. Thank you for sharing this. Here's to 2010 being a banner year for you.
ReplyDeleteI love ya both French or American! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're on my list, ma chere.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get those incredible blue eyes?
I would stay French, but that's just me! (you will always be French,so you are just fine). I was laughing reading your post because I work for the agency you had to deal with, and it is so interesting to see the point of view from the other side. I do hope it works out for you and that you get someone nice to talk to ;)
ReplyDeleteYou are just lovely and I know they will love you.
hugs.
red lipstick you are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteYes, i am not worried about anything. Everybody i had to talk to here and in The French side has been extremely nice. I was thinking about the French Ambassy and i have to say more details about it. The People who work there are wonderful, they help you on the phone....many times on the phone... because even i with a French University level, i can't understand anything.LOL.It's too complicated.. It is just that there is too many papers. Too many steps. Then, i have to spend a lot of money going to San Fransisco.
I wish France would step up with the internet and paper work. They are 10 years behind the States. But the thing is....This is my journey. Maybe there is a reason for everything. I feel very good about my choice and i believe that if you follow your heart and guts and feelings...You can't be wrong :)
Tish....My Mom's side is from Normandie. Have two grand pas with light blue jeans eyes on her side. She has light green eyes.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad is from Bretagne. He has outstanding blue eyes. I look a lot like him. Eyes included LOL.
Both my parents are from the north, Normandie and Bretagne. Descandants of Vikings. We have a lot of red hair in family.
:)
My kids have my eyes too.
I just had to say thank you for your kind words. I'm not at an Embassy, rather at a statistical branch of the USCIS. I think an Embassy would be fun to work at. I'm excited for you!
ReplyDeleteMy dream is to live in France, so I think it is cute that you want to live here! I'm so glad to have met you also and keep me posted on your adventure with the citizenship! ;)
:)
ReplyDeleteWahoo!
ReplyDeleteJanice :) You make me smile my friend. Love ya!
ReplyDeleteI will sticky note this post so if live that long in America, I know the easy way! :)
ReplyDeleteWow!!! I am so happy for you. Although I was born here, I truly treasure my American citizenship and try to import it's worth upon my children.
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I hope it all goes well.
- The Tablescaper