"Hello, officer!", greeted Sushant to the lady at the US-Canada border.
"Hi, can I get your documents, please?", the officer questioned.
"Yes, here is my passport and green card. This is my wife's passport and green card and this is our daughter's passport", said Sushant while handing over the documents to the lady.
"What are we bringing from Canada?", asked the officer.
"Some souvenirs and icewine"
"What about Birthday Gifts for your daughter?", asked the officer glancing over our daughter's passport.
"Yes, absolutely!", Sushant replied, a smile spreading across his face. We had just celebrated our daughter's second birthday in Vancouver, and the joy of that milestone was still fresh in our hearts.
"Where is home?"
"Seattle.", we echoed together.
And just like that, as the officer handed back our passports, those simple words pierced through my mind: "Welcome home."
In that instant, it hit me like a tidal wave. The journey that had once felt like a distant dream had become our reality. It had only been three months since we received our green cards, yet it had never fully sunk in until that very moment.
No longer bound by temporary visas, we were now permanent residents of the United States. I couldn't help but reflect on the days when I fretted over rejected driver's license applications at the DMV (shameless plug - 3 times!), wondering if I would ever make it to this point. Though unrelated, those moments now seemed trivial in comparison. As we crossed the border, my heart was filled with gratitude. I wondered at the twists and turns that life had presented us -- everything from visa stamping struggles, uncertainty of the life in USA due to Visa issues, and long-distance marriage woes, to finding a job to paying off student debt.
Alright, let me spill the beans! Sushant's green card approval? It's all thanks to his brainy Ph.D. in Physics. The guy is a genius, and the U.S. immigration authorities couldn't resist his intellectual charm. Me? Oh, I lucked out big time in this department. I simply married the right guy, and voilà ! Residency status, here I come!
Now, as we let this fact sink in, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratefulness.
We are home!
And as we continue this incredible chapter of our lives, I am reminded that --
Sometimes, the most extraordinary things happen when we simply let go and allow life to unfold before us.
