Back in processing!

As of yesterday, our case is back in processing! It was an anxious two or three weeks for me. Our package was delivered to the National Benefits Center within two days and then…nothing. We didn’t hear a peep; I started to question whether our package had been received by the office or not! But yesterday, in the most patriotic way, as we pulled into the driveway of my aunts house after seeing fireworks for 4th July, I saw that I had a text. Lone behold, it was from USCIS saying that we had an update on our case! I logged into our account online and saw our update! “On June 25th, we received your response to our Request for Evidence”  Finally!! “Our National Benefits Center office will begin working on your case again. We will mail you a decision or notify you if we need something from you.” Boom. There it was.

I kind of feel like now is crunch time. The word “decision” seems so definitive. In reality, I know I still need to have my medical and my interview so it is not as if we will are at the end of the road just yet! It’s exciting to know that we are back in processing but I am nervous that we could be receiving a decision soon! Of course I am having thoughts that “What if they reject our application?” But we have followed all the correct instructions and sent the correct information so there truly is no reason for them to deny our application. If anything, they could accept this and deny us at the interview! However I know I am just thinking outside of the box and I need to stay positive!

Who knows how long it could before we receive a letter or a notice that they need something else from us. Now I go back to checking the mail every single day and dreaming constantly of anything to do with immigration! At this point I am continuing to stay positive and am trying to remember that we are on a long journey and to stay patient with it and with ourselves.

Me vs Texas weather

If you told me at the start of the year that I would one day grow to love thunderstorms, I’d have laughed in your face. They were one of my biggest fears; I hated them. The wind that came along with them, the lightning and worst of all, the thunder. When I experienced my first Texas storm; the dark clouds rolling in and the thunder bellowing above our apartment, it was intense. This was a whole new ball game of storms and I didn’t think I was ready for it. Not only this, I was told “Oh that was just a mild storm!” MILD. To me, the walls of our third story apartment building shaking and car alarms being set off by the rumbling of the thunder did not constitute mild! I wasn’t sure that I would be ready for the intensity that Texas was about to throw at me!

Now? I never thought I’d say it, I love thunderstorms! They are so different from what I have previously experienced in England. If the first Texas storm I experienced was mild then the UK storms were just child’s play. Having downloaded multiple weather apps on my phone and following weather updates on social media, I now get excited at the prospect of a new storm coming our way! The bright, dazzling fork lightning and the deep roar of the thunder that takes a hold of our apartment building and rattles it from top to bottom. It is truly incredible. My favorite part of a storm has to be the thunder; once I see the flash of light, I know what is coming and I anticipate the arrival of the thunder. How strong will it be? Will it shake the apartment this time? (I really secretly enjoy when it does!) One evening while in bed, a storm hit the area so hard. There was no pause between lightning and thunder; no chance for the thunder to pass before the next strike of lightning could hit. When we woke in the morning, our pictures had fallen off the walls in our living room. We can only assume that the power of the thunder had forced them from their holdings. Now that is intense!

Of course thunderstorms can be a truly beautiful sight to see, but they can also bring the threat of serious danger. Tornadoes. Something that truly scares me to my core. This past month, there have been multiple tornadoes not only across Texas but Oklahoma and Illinois to name a few. They bring absolute devastation to cities, homes, families and lives. It is hard to imagine what it must be like to experience such a powerful act of nature and it is so incredibly heartbreaking that some families have to experience such desolation.

While storms can be phenomenal to experience, it is also important to remember that should things take a turn for the worst and severity occur, listen to the warnings. I have educated myself on the difference between a tornado “watch” and a tornado “warning” and this is something that can save lives. I have learnt very quickly not to panic when I receive a tornado watch notification on my phone or see it on the news. It is a scary prospect but is not something to be taken lightly.

I am learning to embrace and love the unpredictable Texas weather! However, like many others, I am ready and waiting for the arrival of the summer heat!