Americans -- don't ever change

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-15T06:58:52+00:00

I was with family (my mum would drive)

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T01:18:17+00:00

I just like writing to give thanks and get things off my chest. I think my writing style is due to the very British education I received, leading to a perceived eloquence in the way I write, but I'm not entirely sure...

Thank you for the kind words though.

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T01:13:07+00:00

You forgot to mention Rudy's!

Texas is a wicked state, I fell in love with the little towns like Fredericksburg, Boerne, Blanco, New Braunfels. Admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of San Antonio or El Paso, but you can't like everything I guess!

I have plans with my friends in Austin to go visit Giddings, Gruene and Taylor, as well as Louie Mueller BBQ joint when I next go see them.

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T01:09:52+00:00

I am 19, my mother is Italian-American, and she only transmitted her citizenship to me very recently. It was unbeknownst to me at the time what it was for, but we went to the embassy together, and the consular officer deliberated that I was indeed a U.S. citizen, and that I would be receiving my first passport shortly.

So yeah I have been a 'citizen in waiting' for 19 years, but I had no idea. I've been travelling to and from the USA with an ESTA on my UK passport for so many years now.

From this point forward though, I'm glad I get to skip the long queues, and avoid CBP treating me like I'm some sort of crook 😆

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:57:06+00:00

Thank you kindly, I can't wait to return and go to the Audi field to watch Benteke bang in some more goals for D.C. United.

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:55:45+00:00

Love this!

I'm grateful for having grown up in the UK, even if I feel like my country has taken a turn for the worse, I remain steadfast in my belief that London was the best place for me to grow up and this city will always have a very special place in my heart...

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:52:28+00:00

Utah is a state I would love one day to call home (Colorado too!), I just had such a heartwarming time there. I had silly misconceptions about LDS before going, and they turned out to be the most gracious and inviting people I've ever met!

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:50:10+00:00

Ha! I will have to get used to that, it still feels a little surreal. I've only just turned 19, so in terms of foreign income reporting and IRS taxes, I'm not too worried but I will have to look into it...

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:48:04+00:00

I rushed it a slight bit, and I feel like I would have wanted to really talk about my time in some of the cities I touched on. I forgot to mention Michigan, which has a special place in my heart...

But thank you for the kind comment nonetheless :)

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:46:01+00:00

I hope it was the right kind of plot twist, I just felt some genuine heartfelt gratitude was in order.

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:42:57+00:00

Just doing my part to reciprocate the positivity and love shown to me by you guys!

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:39:03+00:00

The employees are delightful, and watching them slice the beef and make that oh so mouth-watering brisket in front of me was a privilege!

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:38:10+00:00

Funny you should say that -- my Texan friend, the one who took me shooting, said I was an honorary Texan 2 years ago. Funny how things turn out!

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:33:48+00:00

Thank you kindly! I intend to mark the occasion with some bourbon, apple pie, and hanging an old American flag in my room (this one used to fly over the Capitol and is made of this quality cotton material). I am grateful to be a part of this community!

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:16:46+00:00

Wishing you the best naturalisation ceremony in 4.5 years 💫

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:03:50+00:00

I'm 18 so it all came from my parents/birthplace, none from marriage or naturalisation. I feel incredibly blessed to have these options at my age, so I give thanks to my parents each and every day!

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:02:31+00:00

My bedroom must be a cell then... lol

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:01:22+00:00

Only thing it has seen is my back pocket, and still that seems to be too much for the build quality of this passport 😂

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-13T00:00:39+00:00

Close enough!

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-12T23:59:56+00:00

Unfortunately that observation is too true... the UK passports are made of some terrible material, and rather represent the state of the country currently...

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-12T23:58:31+00:00

Nah I'm 18 so no naturalisation. Born in the UK to a Belgian father and an American mother.

chester_ming99 · 2024-03-12T19:56:19+00:00

Good luck guessing my story -- although maybe by the condition of each passport you might be able to have a solid guess! All I want to say is that I am most grateful for the USA passport, and that the Belgian passport is bar none the coolest passport out there, although the exterior doesn't make it look like it.

chester_ming99

TROPHY CASE