Ok, this might be slightly off topic (although not really)...

Last Friday, after living here for 15 years, I became a United States citizen! The first thing I did (after getting lunch) was to register to vote. I am now officially a registered Democrat!!!

I will be honest, I applied for the citizenship at the beginning of 2016 so I could vote against Trump. Clearly I wasn't the only eligible immigrant who felt this way because the process took about twice as long as it did for my sister three years ago... I'm sure the system was flooded. It is what it is. It didn't happen before the elections. It happened now.

I had my citizenship test the Monday after the Muslim ban executive order was signed, and as my fellow green card holders were still detained at the border. It was strange... I felt conflicted, and a bit saddened that what should've been a celebration of my journey was tainted by politics. Yet, I couldn't NOT feel it.

I was talking to a friend at work who said something really powerful. I was venting my frustration (and even hesitation, tbh) to him, and the next day he came in to work to tell me that "years from now you will look back and say: I became a citizen at the most crucial moment, when it made the most difference".

I will forever be grateful for his words. I went into my oath with a clear conscious and happy and ready to celebrate.