Yesterday, my dears was the tenth anniversary since I moved to the United States of America. I remember the day very well, I often refer to it as my 'two suitcases and sixty dollars' story.
I was weeks away from turning nineteen, when I flew from London to Seattle greeted by my dad.
My accent was very strong and my ideals were old fashioned. I had a pure and innocent sensibility to my decision to uproot my life; from a growing up on a rural South African farm, and an idyllic English country village to a small town in suburban America.
I still remember what I was wearing, and still have the teeny pair of jeans I wore. I have now graduated a few sizes up. Wishing I had a picture of the day I called America home.
One reason I came, was to spend more time with my dad, who I used to visit with my granny and sister every summer on vacation, and the other reason was to attend design school. I got accepted into Spokane Community College in Spokane, Washington as an international student, and had to make a short trip back to England to complete my visa applications.
On the day I went to the London Embassy, it was on/or around the London train bombings. Remember that? Luckily, I wasn't on that line and didn't know the severity until I got home and watched the news.
That Fall I started college and moved into a homestay house with a fellow international student who was from Japan as my roommate. Another friend from Japan, and I eventually moved into a two bedroom apartment across the road from the college, up until my graduation in 2007.
After my graduation I transferred to Marylhurst University, in Marylhurst Oregon to finish my design degree. I lived a mile away in a two bedroom townhome with my roommate from Montana. I graduated with two degrees by the age of twenty-four in the summer of 2010, and then after graduation I moved home with my dad and my life resembled the movie Post Grad.
Then only two weeks after graduation in 2010, I met my husband. Our first date was a Labor Day picnic, and we've been together ever since. So that's what's happened in the past ten years.
So, in celebration of
ten years in the United States of America, we went for a nice dinner in our now Southern hometown of Charlotte, at the
McNinch House Restaurant. But before we left Cory gave me this floral arrangement; red, white and blue.
The McNinch House Restaurant is a turn of the century Victorian in Charlotte's historic forth ward. Our French inspired cuisine was outstanding and we certainly had a celebratory evening, reminiscing on the last ten years, and wondering where the next ten years will take us?
We haven't had an alcoholic drink since Easter, as we only drink on a special occasions, so one bottle sufficed.
Before the first course we had goats cheese with fig.
We both had a crab cake served with shrimp.
A spring salad served with a blueberry reduction sauce, strawberries, and praline bacon.
Oh, and notice our chilled salad fork.
We saw the birds bath and drink water in the garden through the window while we cleansed our palette with cherry sorbet served with mint.
For our main I had roasted duck, which was superb and Cory had filet mignon.
We ate over two-and-a-half hours as we reminisced, and ended our dinner with a chocolate trio; chocolate cake, chocolate ice-cream and chocolate mousse with white chocolate bark.
What a wonderful evening of celebrating and feeling celebrated.
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