Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Seven, 7, Sept, Sieben, cemb, Siete

This Sunday, March 5th, I will have been living in the United States for 7 years.

7 YEARS!!!!!!!

It has flown by. I simply can't believe it. 7 sodding years.

7 years ago, I had made the decision to marry someone I had physically met only twice before. I had made the decision to bring my three children with me to live "The American Dream". I had made the decision to leave all that I had grown to love, known to live and all for one man.

7 years ago.

People ask me, "What if it was all too difficult?", "What if it all went wrong?" "What if....."

Most people who know me know that I am not a person who lives by "What ifs'........". I am a person who, if things get too difficult, I don't run from them. If things went wrong, I would right them somehow.

Let me tell you, things have been difficult, things have gone wrong and I'm still here. Just ;)

I thought long and hard about the past 7 years, and you know what? It has been a fun 7 years at times. Some of the fun things I have done?
  • Fallen drunk from a boat somewhere in Michigan.
  • TP'd someones house.
  • Gone to two fancy dress parties - one as a genie, the other as a......well....ho.
  • Moved house 5 times.
  • Had 5 full time jobs - (not at the same time).
  • Quit two of those jobs flat out - walked out, finito.
  • Seen my husband adopt my kids.
  • Driven to Nebraska.
  • Fallen drunk into a pool and had people 'save' me.
  • Been married twice - to the same man.
  • Done a parachute jump.
  • Had my "World's Largest Appendix" removed.
  • Asked this man to be the father of my make believe babies and he said yes!
  • Made a gajillion friends - friends who mean so much to me y'all.
and so many more things............

7 years ago, I would never have dreamed that I would be living this life. Living a fantastic life no less. Even though there have been hard times, would I do it all again? In a heartbeat. Ten times over. I look back at my old life and just shake my head. Recently, while back in the UK, I had so many people come up and tell me how different this Andrea is to the old one. (In good ways I hope). I feel different too. I am much more confident. Not only about myself, but about how my kid's lives will turn out. I am a much more open person with people. I tell it how I see it. I try to let people know how I feel about them. If I love them, I tell them. If they do something nice for me, I thank them. Rather than wait for life to just pass me by, I grab a good hard hold and make as much of it as I can. You DO only live once, and this life I'm living once? I'm smiling and living it to the full.

This life started again 7 years ago. 7 years ago!

To top it all off? I have an appointment with my Immigration Lawyer on March 15th, to set in motion my becoming a citizen - a permanent resident card just isn't cutting it for me anymore. I think then, my life will be complete.

Me, an American. Whodathunk?

Who knows what the next 7 years will hold for me!?

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