December 10th marked 10 years since I arrived in the US from Australia. When my job transferred me to Chicago from Melbourne in December 2000 I agreed to come for just 12 months, there was no way I wanted to stay longer!. I loved Melbourne and my friends there and living in America was never part of my life plans. There were some problems initially with my work visa and so the company offered to sponsor a green card (permanent residency) for me. I didn't even think for a second before responding, "No I don't want that, I'm not staying!"
Here I am 10 years later living in the south and life is good. I have a wonderful husband who I admire and love and four (very soon to be five) great children who keep me running all day. Heavenly Father certainly knows me better than I know myself because I am so happy with the path my life has taken.
Some random things I love about living in America:
- Amazon - I even have diapers delivered to my door! No tax, free shipping and no trip to the store with kids in tow!
- Yellow school buses, I really thought they were just in movies, but no, they are real and everywhere
- Great family and friends
- Endless roadtrip possibilities.
- Holidays. Once summer is over, there is a continual stream of holidays to keep the year moving. My favorite is Thanksgiving - it's all about good food, family and friends and there are no presents to buy!
Australia will always be home to me no matter how long I am away. Here are a few random things I miss about Australia:
- Being close to my family
- That my children don't have Australian accents
- Aussie slang. After 8 years with Chris I can still pop out a word every now and then that he does not understand, but generally I don't use any Aussie slang anymore. This was never intentional, just something that happened over time so that I could be understood.
- Bakeries
I am now eligible to become a US citizen. Funny to think about since there was no way I wanted to stay! We are still not sure where we will move to after our time here in Augusta is done and so I won't apply until I know if we are going to stay in the US or move to Canada.
3 comments:
WOW! 10 years has gone so fast! Isn't it funny how life is never what you thought it would be. Glad you are happy over there with your lovely little family.
Penny, we are sure happy you came! You've been a fantastic addition to the Bingham clan!
Penny, I'm so glad I found your blog! This was a great post. It seems like just yesterday you were a newly-wed in Chicago! 10 years goes quickly, doesn't it?
We sure do miss you guys and playing Settlers while eating your tasty caramel popcorn!
Post a Comment