I did a thing the other day 😜
When I was a design student at BYU, the head of the program encouraged me to not to pursue the advanced BFA degree. He said that as a foreign student, the university preferred me to graduate faster and return to my country. I know he wasn’t necessarily voicing the university’s opinion, but it influenced me and I still grief the opportunities I missed by not pursuing the BFA program.
But what that professor didn’t know was that my path would keep me here for much longer.
In 2015 I got married here in the USA.
In 2016 I graduated with a degree in visual arts, while in the process of getting my permanent residence.
In 2017 I started my own business, registered here in the USA.
And after living and working here for 11.5 years, I am now a citizen of the United States. I’ve got a vote and a voice in the country where I do business and pay my taxes.
I’ve got two citizenships now 🇨🇷 🇺🇸✨ Since I’ll always be a tica as well!
I have been lucky and privileged throughout this journey. It’s a journey that is not accessible to everyone, so I do recognize that things were simpler for me than for many others.
If you are also on your American residence or citizenship journey, I’d be more than happy to introduce you to the company that helped me with my paperwork and made sure my process went as smoothly as possible.
Until then, I’ll be in my backyard grilling some hot dogs and listening to eagles fly by. 🎉