Month: November 2013

Why the U.S.?

  1. I’m a citizen by birth. Mum is a US citizen, so I am entitled to inherit citizenship from her.
  2. The United States is part of my identity, and I feel the desire to cultivate it by spending a long time there.
  3. I’m in my twenties, young, healthy, unattached, have few responsibilities in life. Now is the perfect time to travel and go on an adventure.
  4. I have loving family there, who can help support me initially (and in times of need).
  5. I want a clean break, a fresh start, a chance to create a new life for myself. It’s not that Australia is a terrible place, it’s just that I’ve been going through the motions here. My life isn’t challenging me enough right now.

I get nods of understanding and encouragement when I tell people any of my reasons. I think it’s a well known narrative: twenty-somethings exploring the world, and never coming home.

Things that have changed since I became an American citizen

‘Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.’ – George Bernard Shaw

  • I’ve become competitive at sports
  • I like winning, not losing
  • I’ve become determined to get things done
  • I do what I want, and I get what I earn, on my own terms
  • I want to do things no one else is doing
  • I like challenges of epic proportion
  • I want a big truck, and a sports car
  • I won’t have made it until I’m the Vice President of a company, or in the White House
  • I’ve realised how small-scale Australia is (just watch the local news to see this one)
  • I’ve come to appreciate aspects of American culture, history and politics
  • I like hip hop, and the ‘started from the bottom now we’re here’ narrative
  • I respect and appreciate firearm discipline
  • I stopped using private health insurance