I still can't believe it.
I returned home from a shopping trip to Narbonne yesterday and the moment I walked in the house, husband held up an envelope and started singing la Marseillaise.
He must be mistaken, I thought. It's too early. The sous-préfecture said last May that it would take 1 more year to process my citizenship application and I had heard from several readers that they had to wait 2 years, 3 years, even 6 years.
I tentatively opened the envelope.
Madame,
J'ai le plaisir de vous faire savoir que vous êtes Française depuis le 30/11/2009.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I know that sounds silly, but it has been such a drawn out, paperwork-filled, frustrating journey to get here, I just can't quite believe it.
I am officially a French citizen.
The celebration has begun. Vive la France!
The Journey:
The First Few Steps Toward French Citizenship
Stumbled Already!
Picking Myself Up and Brushing Myself Off
Marseille - One More Step on the Path to French Citizenship
Life as a Stranger
French Citizenship Update
French Citizenship - One Step Closer
The Boys in Blue
French Citizenship - Chapter One Too Many to Count
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39 comments:
CHAMPAGNE!
Toasted you last night ... Red wine went down very well, Congratulations!
Congrats! The waiting game is the hardest. I intend on going down this same path soon. I know if I need to vent to someone about my frustrations I can always contact my FRENCH friend, Lou Lou!!! ;)
so happy for you! Break open the champagne!
Congratulations on your citizanship and also on your beautiful blog.
I have it bookmarked now.
(BTW I linked your baba ganoush photo on my site. I apologize for the lack of link --that was one of my first articles ever, and I didn't have the attribution thing down as well.)
-Liz Kelly
Congratulations, that is GREAT news!
That is wonderful news.
France just got even better!
Wonderful news, Loulou. I'm very happy for you.
Happy Holidays!
That is wonderful news! Congrats french lady.;)
spacedlaw
YES!
Anne
Merci! I toasted too. And will again tonight with friends who are coming over for dinner.
Let the celebration continue!
Aimee
Yes, you may vent your frustrations any time you need. I'll understand. :)
geniuswaitress
Thanks for putting in the link. Nice article!
Justin
Merci! It is some of the best news I've had all year.
garry
Absolutely!
Cathy
Happy holidays to you too and thanks for the nice comment.
Sandy
Thank you so much. :) I'm on cloud nine!
Wow!! Congrats! I don't feel redy for that yet but just having had my daughter that might change my mind!! Getting a carte de sejour is hard enough, can't imagine the headache involved in applying for citizenship...
Congrats!
Felicitations! I know the feeling of suprise when you receive the letter. It only took 10 months here. But I was disappointed that I didn't get to go to some sort of ceremony.
Now you can vote! Congrats encore.
That is an amazing, terrific news!
Congratulations!
Congratulations, that is very exciting! As a francophile I love your blog and the vicarious French-ness I get from it, this is really tops!
HOORAY!
Congratulations! Madame O'Grady must be watching over her old French student from the heavens. And I just sent you a card today saying I hope the citizenship process moves along this year!
Congratulations on perseverance and success! How long did the process take in toto? From your posts, it looks as if you started the final paperwork about two years ago?
Congratulations on becoming a French citizen! I'm sure that they'll promote you to First Ambassador of Fromage in no time!
Congratulations! What wonderful news!!
of course I am not surprised, how can they deny citizenship to someone who knows more about French cheese/food than they do?
Fantastic, Jennifer. I'm really happy for you. Now Walt and I have to decide whether we want to go through that process.
ashley
It was fraught with headaches, but now I never need to apply for a carte de séjour/résident again and that makes it all worth it. :)
L
Merci!
Dedene
Thanks! It was so exciting to open that envelope.
I'm excited about the voting part. Now I need to pay more attention to French politics.
Nadege
Thank you so much! It is very exciting.
Prof. Kitty
I appreciate your nice comment and am happy to hear that you enjoy Chez Loulou. It is great to hear from my readers! Thanks!
georgiegirl
:)
That's exactly how I feel!
Wendl
I immediately thought of her and am so sad that she's gone. I would have loved to have kept in contact with her and shared this news.
I've not send any holiday cards this year (I'm lame!) but will look forward to getting yours. Hope all is well with you and Bill and the girls! xo
Emm
Thank you!
It was about a year and 9 months but I got held up a couple of times along the way.
Danielle
I would love to hold that position. :)
Alissa
Merci beaucoup!
Sarah
lol
My French friends are often amazed by my French cheese knowledge.
Ken
Thanks!
It was a long process, but it is a wonderful feeling!
Congratulations! I think the result is worth the wait. This officially your country now. Something about that makes it feel more like home.
How wonderful! Now we are fellow Franco-Washingtonians!I think I'll be opening some champagne tomorrow and will think of you! Cheers!
deedee
Thanks for the congratulations!
It does make it feel like home. Before we always knew that if they didn't want us here they could refuse our Cartes de Séjour renewals. Not that I would have expected them to, but it makes me feel more grounded.
Betty
Enjoy that Champagne! We had some last night and it was great to toast to la nationalité and la France!
Franco-Washingtonians...I like it!
LouLou,
I went back to read your earlier posts on the process. You are brave as well as persistent. But this part puzzled me:
[ the completed form from the consulate in Marseille ] "equivalent of an extrait de casier judiciaire étranger, required my swearing to the fact that I've never been convicted of a crime nor filed for bankruptcy."
I can understand the non-conviction-of-crime part, but why bankruptcy? Under U.S. law, those leave the record after a period of time.
Loulou
Toutes mes félicitations chère concitoyenne.
I was short by one month - I said it would be in November -ever the optimist.
So HAPPY for you and now you can ring in the New Year with lobster and Champagne.
Congratulations! I am so happy for you!!!
Félicitacions! What a relief it must be to have it all sorted out - and what a great Christmas present! Joyeuses Fêtes!
Emm
Yes, being persistent is important during this process!
As far as I understand, there is more of a stigma regarding bankruptcy in Europe.
Beaver
Merci!!!
You were almost spot on and much more optimistic than I was! :)
Pumpkin
Thanks my dear!
Croquecamille
It is such a great feeling! Thanks for your congratulations and joyeuse fêtes to you too!
I might get to Paris this April, so if you are around, me must meet up.
FELICITATIONS!
Allons enfants de la patriiiiiieeee :)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Vive la France indeed! What a fab Christmas present!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I'm so happy for you.
Loulou- congratulations! You know I never had a love affair with France but ever since following you and Riana around on your various adventures I have found myself getting more and more wishful that I could come and visit and know that if I did, I wouldn't want to leave.
I'm so happy you've got your citizenship!
emiglia
Merci!
I must learn the words to la Marseillaise!
Paola
Thanks so much! It is very exciting!
martha
Merci for the congratulations!
Angelina
Thanks so much. I hope you get here one day so you can see where we live...and no, you won't want to leave! :)
I know it's bee a long while since you became a French citizen... but since I'm going to be applying real soon, I wanted to have a look at your experience with the process.... Thanks for detailing it so elaborately ... and a very belated CONGRATS to you!
Take care, Leesa
Leesa
Good luck! I look forward to congratulating you on your nationalité some day soon. :)
I've recently gotten my Carte de Resident and I'm just curious as to why you went through becoming a citizen. I mean if you wanted to I understand but I was just curious if there were other reasons like health insurance, taxes, etc. I'd be really interested to find out. My husband is French so becoming a citizen wouldn't change much of anything for me in my daily life.
Rvaya
I asked for citizenship because my Carte de Séjour status didn't allow me to work and I wanted/needed that right. Of course, about 5 months after I applied, I received a 10 year Carte de Résident, which gave me the right to work so the Citizenship wasn't so important. But I'm really happy that I have it. No more cards to worry about!
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