Thanks Friends

Well, it is done, it is over... I came and I conquered! I can hardly believe that what I started in March is now over (just about). I passed the interview with flying colors. I think if I was to get a grade, it would have been an A+, a gold star even! For some reason I was really really finger nail biting nervous. My nerves may or may not have been due to late night internet searches regarding my immigration condition and reading the experiences of others who may or may not have been from Russia and the like. Really not a good idea, but hey, when you are all alone at night and you don't like going to sleep by yourself so you stay up really late so when you fall asleep you don't even realize it- that is just what you and Google get yourselves into. And who can blame me, really? I thought I would be asked some doozie questions, but no, even though I knew his toothbrush color and I knew how I would respond if I had been asked about our sex life, the most interesting question was, "Thailand! What were you doing over there? Was it a good experience?". Easy peasy cutie pies. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers. J'ai fini!

Now, some things I have learned. First and foremost, there need to be male and female bathrooms on airplanes. I have been on my fair share of them throughout this ordeal and all I have to say is boys/men are such public bathroom pigs. Seriously. #1 ALL over the seat and on the FLOOR and they take forever in airplane bathrooms. Come on men, stop letting us down. I know you can do it, I know you can use a bathroom like a decent person. I'm rooting for you!

Another thing I have learned is that preparation is key as far as immigration goes. The USCIS website is really wonderful. I admit it is overwhelmingly wonderful, but if you spend the time you really can figure things out. Pouring over that website for hours helped me to make sense of almost everything. I was glad that it warned me that immigration is my responsibility and that the information is here in the website, I just need to find it. Figuring it out was a giant game of hide and seek with me and the USCIS website, except I was always it.

Those were probably the 2 best things I learned.

Now I will tell you about Montreal. It was lots of fun. Kass-a-Frass met me there which was such a treat. She has the most delicious little boy, who I very much enjoyed getting to know. We got to explore Old Montreal, Catholic Montreal, and the Underground City. It was neat getting to see that part of my country, and somewhat ironic/sad that leaving my country is what brought me there. Le sigh. I also got to give Kass a history lesson about HBC Point blankets, a topic I love. Montreal really has an European flare to it, albeit, a little run down, but unique none the less. I am proud that Montreal can boast of its plentiful supply of really decent Pain Au Chocolate's, even though it so so far form the motherland. Definitely the #1 reason to keep that provience in Canada, Poutine being the runner up, of course.

Sweet Nunu picked me up from the airport late this morning, after which, we spent the afternoon relaxing and eating bon bons. Important sister bonding that needs to be done before I leave. Such a bitter sweet experience!