July 6th 2020

Tomorrow is about to be one of the biggest days of my life, predicated by the last biggest day of my life: March 8, 2011 - when I first moved to the US.

Tomorrow, July 6th, 2020 at 1pm I swear in and officially become a US Citizen. 

Due to the pandemic, I must go alone. My parents and some family friends are driving into town on Wednesday to celebrate, but for a day I just get to mull that news over all on my own. 

It is such a weird time. We're in a middle of a pandemic, the revolution is happening, tensions are high, everything is politicized, and Kanye west just announced that he's running for president. So many things are happening in the world that are much bigger than me and I am so grateful to get to be a part of what's happening, no matter how exhausting. I know that a lot of important things are happening in the world and I really don't want to make things about me but this is a HUGE deal for my life, a MASSIVE step forward in my story and I'm just going to be honest and say that I am sad that I don't get to celebrate with the people I love.

I really wish I could celebrate this achievement with all the people I love and love me, the people who have helped me get to where I am now. I cannot believe how far I've come. I do not feel proud of myself for getting this far because I really feel like I won the lottery with the people I've been blessed to encounter. No, I'm not so much proud of this accomplishment, mostly just grateful for every single person in the last 9 years who have loved me, supported me, taught me, and helped me through every season. 

The first thing I plan to do is to register to vote - because I have never been able to vote. I get to be a first time voter at 28 years old, and I plan to really use my influence and (by tomorrow) status for change for good. I'm applying for a passport so I can finally travel - after the pandemic. I've been wanting this for so long but now that I'm about to get it I really don't know what's next on the to do list. Especially during a worldwide pandemic all the future plans seem to be on hold. I'm not really one to plan things more than a year ahead anyway, everything is very vague in my brain.

But this is quite literally just the beginning. Dominique, it's time to dream again. Tomorrow your life is going to change. On Friday you're moving into your new apartment. It's an exciting new chapter and the possibilities are endless, I know that also sounds terrifying and so cliche but if we can take any lesson from 28 years of being alive, it's going to blow your mind.

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