Almost There!

My husband and I spent this morning taking a naturalization exam, and I am very happy to report that we both passed! We are still not considered American citizens officially, but we are almost there. There is only one more step left, and it is to take the oath.

The process of obtaining the American citizenship is a long and time-consuming. I am not complaining in any possible way, and I totally understand that there are many good reasons for it to take this long, but I cannot be happier to finally finish the process that began more than 10 years ago.

We both came to this country for an opportunity to work in the field we loved and were trained for, which is science, chemistry. Graduating at the time of the Soviet Union collapse left us jobless and homeless. No matter that we've just got the highest degrees from the best and oldest university in Russia – finding a job in our field to support our young family was nearly impossible. That is when we decided to move to the USA.

Our life here at first was quite challenging. However, even with our laughable English and no recommendations, we managed to find the jobs we loved and to advance in our careers. The first few years we had to apply for a working visa every so often (every two years? - I already forgot), and every time there was no guarantee that the visa would be granted. If not – we'd have to leave the country. Five years ago we have finally got our Green Cards. We still could not participate in the political life and were somewhat restricted in our travel, but at least we knew that we would not be forced out of our house or loose a job because of the legal status. With two kids, ages 8 and 6, it was a very reassuring feeling.

Over the years, we've got a better understanding of this country, its people, and its culture. In fact, we now feel much more at home in America than we do in Russia or in Ukraine. We still have cultural ties with our place of birth (and always will!), but we are ready to become the Americans.