Filizko Became an American Citizen!

Filizko became an naturalized American citizen, yay!

I still do not know how to write that sentence without smiling a little. :)

I came to the United States in 2015, with a suitcase, a student visa, an accent, and no real idea of what my life would become. I did not know then that this country would become such a large part of my story. I did not know that one day I would build a life here, study here, work here, make friends here, miss home from here, and eventually call this place home too.

Becoming an American citizen felt strange in the most beautiful way.

It was not a sudden transformation. I did not become a different person in that room. I was still from İzmir. I was still Turkish. I was still carrying my first language, my childhood, my grandmother, my memories, and all the places that made me who I am.

But something did change!

After all these years, America was no longer only the country where I studied, lived, and tried to figure things out. It became my country too.

I know that sounds simple, but it meant a lot to me.

It meant that the life I had been slowly building here had become real in a new way. The years of paperwork, uncertainty, waiting, learning, adapting, and starting over had quietly turned into belonging. Not the kind of belonging where you forget where you came from, but the better kind, the kind where you get to carry more than one home inside you.

So yes, I became an American citizen. On Halloween, of all days, which somehow made it even more fun to remember. :)

I am Turkish. I am from İzmir. And now, I am also American.

Some life updates are too big to explain neatly. This is one of them!

But I am grateful.

And I am proud!

P.S. I was so happy, so I forgot to take photos from the celebration with my loved ones. Whole Texas Roadhouse was happy that day! :) I am attaching here the naturalized people’s home countries. It’s indeed a melting pot, huh? And also President Biden’s heartfelt letter. I am not crying, you are crying :))

P.P.S. Anneanneciğimin yazması boynumdaydı. Kendisi zaten hep kalbimde! (On this beautiful and important day, I wore my dear grandma’s scarf around my neck. She was, as always, in my heart.)