Some photos I scanned from the early years (originally shot on film).
Mark & I are both 19 and very much in love. Beards get shaved, hair gets cut off – but some things never change. :)
With our lawyers-turn-friends, Julie and Dorchen, who helped us more than words can say. 2003.
Are you an immigrant? I’d love to hear your story on how you’ve changed over the years.
Awww, lovely! As Seneque said “Luck occurs when preparation meets opportunity”. Look at you lot embodying that quote (^_^)v
Wow 10 years! That’s awesome. Interesting because that means when Scott and I started dating you had only been in America for 4 years.. where does the time go?! Ahhh! Anyway, the day you stepped on American soil, it became a much more interesting place! Job/Education don’t mean much in my book, being creative and following your dreams does. <3 ya!
Oh, wow, I didn’t even recognize Mark in that picture!! You two have been together for ages. I love it. :) Congrats on your 10 yr anniversary of coming to the States!
I am not an immigrant, but my parents are. My mother left everything and everyone to hop a plane to the USA for a better life, and my dad escaped a communist government as a boy with his parents and sisters. Each of their stories, and my own childhood, would probably take up an entire book, so I won’t write it down here. But suffice to say, their immigrant status was both very difficult for me growing up, but it also equipped me with a unique perspective on life that I likely would not have gotten otherwise.
Aww tha tfirst photo is so sweet! Strange how a beard and long hair makes someone look so different!
Grats on your ten years! I hope you have ten more that are just as good.
My grandfather came over to the states when he was three or four; he was born in a tiny little village on the border of two countries in/around Russia but the village is apparently long gone. He passes on notes about the family geneology to me from time to time, because I find it fascinating and wonderful; an important note is that his ancestors–as well as my grandmother’s–didn’t stay put in one place for too long; ie, they were constantly moving around, which I guess might have been odd back then. There’s a lot more I could say but in the interest of space I’ll leave it all at that.
Grats again! And you always have such awesome photos :D
awww! yay! Sometimes I have to look back and remind myself what I’ve done…
Congrats! I don’t consider myself an immigrant as I’m not sure yet if I will stay here permanently, but I moved to Australia almost two years ago and they have been the hardest but also the best two years of my life. Moving to a new country has taught me an awful lot about myself that I didn’t even know was there to learn!
I am an immigrant as well. I moved here with my mother (from Germany) in 1998 with nothing but four suitcases between the two of us. I love it here and will definitely be applying for citizenship (I am a resident alien). Are you a citizen of a permanent resident such as myself?
Congrats on surviving America, I hear it’s hard to do.
I’m not an immigrant, but I do plan to be one day.
I’m a first generation born, and my Filipino parents arrived in NY 35 years ago (this past April). 9 years later (or 26 years ago), they had me. And they’ve been married for 36 years.
They tell me they came with 2 suitcases, a few changes of clothes, and a couple hundred USD between them. Knowing that, and knowing where they came from gives me a unique perspective on how awesome things can be just working towards your dreams.
You do that too (the perspective). Congratulations on the decade!
you look so pretty in that first picture.
Wow, congrats! Ten years is a lot, a great achievment and I know what I’m talking about. I’m myself an immigrant and will be celebrating my 15 years in France next year, as well as -hopefully!- my brand new college degree! I moved here when I was seven, we had very hard times, but it was worth it and I’m so glad to see that other people, like you, in other places are doing the same.
This is my first comment here even though I’m sort of following you since Limecrime… I didn’t want to say anything earlier but now is the moment ;-) ! I wanted to say I know very well what it means for you and that I’m proud of you, myself and any other immigrant. I know how you feel!
Once again : congratulations!
Oh that’s co cool!! I thought you were younger when you came to America.I came here with my family 11 years ago from Poland.We did not speak English and it was very scary.But since then my mom found a great job as a chef and she loves it and i found few friends who really made me believe that there are good people out there.
I still don’t feel or look American and everyday people ask me where i’m from which gets pretty annoying but i just smile and answer their question.
I love it that you are sharing your background and you seem very proud of where you are from!
i adore this, i love hearing about your triumphant story. especially the pic of you and mark together! i had no idea you’d been together for that long.
♣ Bonbons de Tokyo
I suppose you can say that! :)
♣ Aether
American soil is still mourning the day I stepped upon it. ;)
♣ Cristina
It is true that immigrants’ children have it almost as bad as the immigrants themselves, haha. If not financially, then culturally! But it’s good to be weird sometimes. ;)
♣ Tygenco
Maybe you come from a Russian Gypsie family? Since they moved around so much and all. :) Either way, do share the story sometime! I wanna hear!
♣ Bridget
Hmm, I never thought about it like that. Moving to me was always about learning about others – culture, language, traditions. But we learn so much about ourselves in the process.
♣ Jen
I am a resident alien, applying for citizenship this year. We came here in 1998 too. :)
♣ Ruth
Surviving in America is nothing considered to Russia. ;) I’m glad we moved.
♣ Corinne
Immigrant stories all sound so similar. A couple suitcases, a few hundred dollars. That sounds just like us.
♣ BloodyCinnamon
Congratulations on the 15 years! How’s France treating you? And please, do comment more often!
♣ Karina
I know what you mean about the questions. Do you have an accent? I still do a little bit and people ask me where I’m from every day. When I say “I’m from Russia”, they immediately respond with “Which part of Russia”. 10 years, and this still confuses me into a few seconds of speechlessness – there is only one part in Russia. But, like you said, we must answer patiently. :)
♣ Elizabeth
Yep, since we were both 19. It’s incredible how we never grew apart – we still do everything together! He truly is my bestest friend in the world.
France is treating me ok nowalthough some accidents happened and still occur. Most of the time, the problem is ignorance from the French, like you said, you have to be very patient and always explain… you see what I mean I guess! ;-)
Anyway, I’ll try to comment more often, I promise!
Oh my god… bloody cinnamon that’s weird… I moved to France when I was ten, we had hard times throughout the entire 16 years I stayed too (no money, no work, no home, blablablabla!!!)! I finally moved away after… I got my college degree! Strange strange strange!
latelatelate, oh well . (:
thats great, 10 years! all my life i`ve lived in newyork. ish. i was born in egypt & came over when i was 3 months old. i`m glad you here, in new york, you’ve taught me alot :]
This is so amazing for me to see because I’m 19 and I always wonder what you were like at 19. This is so fun, your hair was beautiful that way! (not that I don’t adore it now? Is that your natural colour? This is also important for me to read because sometimes I think I can’t change and become what I dream of but it’s nice to see you go from simple boho-ish cute to glamorous and successful. I think there is hope for me yet.