Officially Midstream

It’s official. After more than four years and more piles of paperwork than I care to remember…

…at long last my immigration journey has reached a happy conclusion and I am honoured to count myself…

 a (newly naturalised) British citizen!

It is hard to explain to someone who hasn’t moved country just how unsettling it can feel to be, well, unsettled. As one who long took for granted the rights and privileges of secure citizenship in the free country that I was born in, I couldn’t have imagined, understood, or appreciated my eventual life as an immigrant. Nevertheless, as challenging as this chapter has been for me, I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the many and varied immigrant stories of others, involving situations undoubtedly more complex and harrowing than mine.

As I chose to “up stakes” and cross the Atlantic to build a life with my British husband in the UK, I resolved to integrate fully and truly into the culture of my new country of residence. Of course, I also retain my culture of origin. In fact, I’m a dual national. I didn’t sacrifice an identity through the immigration process. Rather, I enhanced the one that I have. As a result, becoming a British citizen has provided me with a special sense of acceptance and belonging, and I consider it a privilege to call the UK my home.

While there is alot of practical advice I could offer to others embarking on this path, my best advice is to maintain a healthy perspective along the way. Moving somewhere new is exciting, but there are times when it is hard to adjust or difficult to cope with the absence of loved ones or the familiar. Additionally, immigration isn’t easy by design and for good reason. Patience, research, and a bit of personal organization can help.

For Americans settling in the UK, time may bring about that Mid-Atlantic feeling. Upon reflection, I now think it is better not to think of it as losing a part of yourself so much as enriching your life experience, your language, your culture, and your worldview.

I’m no longer feeling metaphorically adrift in the Mid-Atlantic, caught between two cultures. I see myself as living fully “midstream”, where things are moving — in a positive direction.