Pledge of Allegiance

This past Friday I attended a ceremony at a courthouse in Cincinnati.  This was the final part of my citizenship process and I am officially now an American.

 

It felt good to become a citizen after living here for close to nine years yet I found myself filled with mixed emotions.  There is a section in the Oath where you have to denounce your own country and I found that especially hard. 

 

While I've chosen to live here with my husband in my heart I will always be the Welsh girl whose journey has led her here.

Learning To Dance Barefoot

As much as love returning to the UK I also find myself tinged with sadness for as soon as my feet hit British soil I’m hit with the feeling that I no longer truly belong.  This sensation crashes over me like an unexpected wave, one that knocks my feet out from under me and takes my breath away.

I also get the same feeling here in the US, for my British accent always sets me apart.  No matter which country I'm in it’s like trying on a favorite pair of shoes only to realize that they're no longer a perfect fit.  We all want to feel like we belong but I need to be ok being different, to celebrate who I am now, to discard those ill fitting shoes and maybe dance barefoot for a while.