20th Anniversary

20 years 🥂Twenty years ago, on August 4th of 2001, I moved to the remarkable United States of America 🇺🇸 What once was a dream is now Home. Although I was born in Portugal, I left relatively young. I was 21 when I moved to England and 23 when I moved to the US. I moved to England for work and moved to California after getting married.

This amazing country has provided me with opportunities that no other country could. The American Dream is very much alive. America is about equal opportunity regardless of your immigration status or color. As a minority female, I came to the United States with nothing. I came without a degree, without any real work experience and apparently a rather confusing accent (British meets Chicago from what I was told). I can confidently say I haven’t been judged once. Have never been discriminated against. Was welcomed with open arms since day one and even though many asked questions that are perceived as inappropriate these days, I was never offended. If you want to know more about how or why I moved here, my heritage, my ethnic roots or why I have an accent, I will take it as a compliment and answer as much as I can.

Thanks to America, Americans, American corporations, capitalism and personal ambition, I am where I am now. Had I stayed in Portugal, or even England, I would never be able to achieve what I have achieved here. I agree the US is not for everyone, but if your dream is to live and flourish in the US, do it! You will not regret it. Just look at my story! I am the American Dream and what it stands for.

So…THANK YOU AMERICA for the best 20 years of my life and more to come 💙🤍❤️ “ ‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA”.