[Beginning of Speech] I have been invited to speak about my experience of becoming a citizen and it is a great honor for me to address you all today.

A Childhood Dream Begins

Allow me to take you on a journey that starts with a young girl’s dream to live in America: I grew up in a small town in Southern Germany. When I had just started elementary school I noticed a new car in our neighborhood.

A huge white car with wooden side panels along its doors. It looked so different from all the other cars on the streets, it was big, exotic and I was mesmerized.

I asked my Dad what type of car it is and he replied its American, its a Grand Jeep Cherokee.

Back then I hardly knew where America was on the globe but: that day my fate was sealed, I knew that I was going to live in America one day.

Searching for a Way: From Gap Years to Green Cards

Came high school some students in my school took a gap year to live with a family in the United States. They missed a whole school year and when they returned, they were academically a year behind. But they came back fluent in English which sounded so amazingly different than the English I had been taught in our school.

They had big plans to study at famous universities in America. My parents didn’t support the idea of a gap year and that was that. Then I played the American Green Card lottery to try my luck but didn’t land myself a ticket either.

Learning Confidence from American Idols

I played tennis as a teenager and during the Grand Slams tennis tournaments my nose was glued to the TV, the matches between John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. What I admired about all my American tennis idols was their big personalities and the immense confidence they had in their game. And some even had attitude, so dramatic and refreshing.

Of course I have to mention the amazing tennis couple: the beautiful Steffi Graf from Germany and the strong Andre Agassi from America – a match made in the tennis heavens, the best of two worlds!

Today, we have the fantastic opportunity and privilege to marry the best of both worlds: where we come from and where we are going. We can release what no longer serves us and embrace the new:

We all bring our unique personalities, skills and strengths from our motherland and we embrace the new opportunities in our chosen homeland, the United States of America.

Why America Felt Like Home

I love the Spirit of America, its open-mindedness, its can do attitude, its entrepreneurial spirit and limitless opportunities. You can change your career and try something completely new.

In other countries you are expected to be loyal to your career for the rest of your life. Here in the US, you can totally reinvent yourself, it is culturally accepted and even encouraged.

Leaving the Corporate World to Follow My Calling

I decided to leave behind the comfort of being a Finance Executive so I could to follow my passion of Feng Shui. Instead of optimizing financial process flows for banks and corporations I am giving homes a deep soul cleanse with space clearings. The energy in homes can flow freely and people are able to move forward with clarity and be successful and prosper.

Starting from Scratch in a New Land

Calling the US my home meant to overcome many challenges and I am sure you can relate. I hardly knew anyone when I arrived in the US, I had to start from scratch, build my client portfolio in a country that was so fascinating and yet felt foreign in many ways at the same time.

It takes immense dedication, patience and overcoming a big culture shock. Everyone who is here today went through this quest to Americanize themselves. I want to compliment and salute each one of you for your dedication and persistence and my heartfelt wish is that we will all realize our own version of the American Dream.

By following the process of naturalization we are all ambassadors of hope to those who wish to do the same.

Crossing the Threshold Into Citizenship

There is magic in every new beginning that guides us and protects us! We are stepping over a big threshold today as we are taking on a new identity in becoming citizens of this amazing country.

Gratitude for New Belonging

My gratitude goes to the great Spirit of America, its beautiful lands and wild nature. To all the lovely people I have met and wonderful friends I have made. To the wide open horizons on the West Coast where the sky is the limit. To our friendly and welcoming field officers and judge.
To Reno which has always been good to me and I consider myself lucky to live in our Biggest Little City because “Nevada Nice” is at home here.

May the highest spirits bless our journey and continue to bless this beautiful country.
May Peace prevail on Earth.
Good luck to you all! 🍀
[End of Speech]