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| July 2012: A shot from the local July 4th Parade. |
What could be more American than a rural July 4th parade?
July was a turning point for me. I emigrated in June, but it wasn't until July I learned that expatriation takes longer than I expected; that there are no hard and fast rules on how long it takes to adjust; and that expats need to just let go and go with the flow.
A few days before I flew out to the USA, I found out about the changes to the UK Immigration requirements. Honestly, it felt like a real gotcha.
When we got engaged in 2009 we carefully considered what would be the best course of action for our transatlantic relationship. We ultimately decided that the USA would be the best move, but knew the option of moving back to the UK would always be open to us - or so we thought.
I'll admit that over the past few months there have been times when we have second-guessed our decision. I'll be sad if the UK doesn't overturn these harsh immigration rules. I think it's bad policy.
Regardless, we're going to be here in the USA for a long while to come: In a few years I'll be able to apply for US citizenship so I'll be a dual Brit/American. Back in July I certainly celebrated Independence Day like a true American should. I'm getting into the American groove, and next year (tomorrow!) I'm going to keep discovering more about this strange and fascinating culture.
Photo geekery: I've read that every lens has a 'sweet spot' - the best aperture for crisp, sharp photos. For the Sigma I have, I think it's f/7.1, but I usually shoot on f/5.6.
Yeah I always thought we'd might move back but the hassle of going through all the paperwork and all the changes i'm happy enough to stay here. I'm just over 6 months ahead of you in the move and I don't think there's a hard and fast way of fitting into the new culture. I certainly feel like an outside a lot of the time - I just have to talk and people look at you twice. But moving has given me lots of opportunities that I wouldn't of come across anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, it's good to know that I'm not the only one, really!
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