Love, marriage, and immigration (in no particular order)

These are my favorite pages from my newly-completed "Petition for an Alien Fiance" application portfolio thingie for US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). I'm pretty sure USCIS won't necessarily "ooo" and "awww" at my cutesy stickers and style, but it made me smile to make it!

Kieran and I met 4 years ago, both working as camp counselors at a residential summer camp in New York. We were both 20 and in the middle of undergraduate school in our respective countries. I certainly wasn't expecting to find my soul mate. Further, I wasn't expecting my soul mate to be from another country. Before I met Kieran, I didn't know anything about England or the UK. I didn't even know that England had a different flag from the traditional UK "Union Jack." Meeting Kieran and other British people recruited through Camp America really opened up my world. Within 3 weeks of meeting each other, Kieran and I were inseparable.

I didn't know a darn thing about immigration and its obstacles back then. I am glad I didn't cause I was always naively optimistic. By the time I figured out the immigration barriers ahead of us, I was already deeply in love and not willing to give up. The refusal to give up on the special connection we had because of laws and citizenship was the thing that kept us both going strong all these years. We went back and forth on temporary visas--student visas, visa waiver visits, etc. None of it was a permanent solution but we were happy just to have more time together. When we didn't have a legal way to be together, we tried to be content with brief visits 4 times a year, daily phone calls, and romantic snail mail packages and letters.

Now that Kieran and I were finally out of school (for now, anyways!) and starting our first jobs, we realized that the immigration walls were closing in. We were running out of temporary options. Not to mention that we were both growing weary and impatient with the long-distance arrangement. So on a trip last month to Cancun for a much-needed vacation, Kieran popped the big question and thus our next chapter began!

Unfortunately we are still apart right now, because legally we can only work in our respective countries, but I am so happy that we are only 10 or 11 months away from putting this long-distance crap behind us, once and for all!! But holy crap, trying to plan a Maryland wedding when the groom and the groom's whole family are across the pond--it is hard! Plus, I feel sad going on reception/ceremony site tours without Kieran. I know it's going to be a beautiful and lovely wedding, but I wish he was here to share in the planning!

I just have to hope and pray that USCIS processes the fiance visa in time. Average processing time is about 5 months, but I worked for the federal government long enough to know that "average processing times" don't always work out that way. Trying not to stress, putting faith in the fact that the application is complete and flawless and hope it speaks for itself!!

Well tomorrow I am off to another wedding venue tour. Right now I'm between 2-3 venues so I'm trying to narrow it down in the next month. So crazy! I'm so glad my parents are here to keep me sane for the time being, even though my mom is clearly sad about my impending move. Just trying to keep the parents excited about the wedding and the planning and distracting them from what happens after that. It seems to be working right now, so we'll see how it goes :-D

Okay mom is beckoning me to watch "Say Yes to the Dress" with her! Gotta Go!

<3 Amanda