Search the Community

Hello guys! The only thing I've been doing since we got our NOA1 is eat, sleep work and research more on this process, feeling depressed one minute and euphoric the other, lol. Which is why I'm making this post to say hello to everyone but also to find people who are in a similar situation of this process as I am or just somebody that wants to chat about it! I don't know if I can speak for everyone here, but personally this, even though very fresh experience, already has felt quite isolating. Quick sum up: Met my fiance on a site for writers looking for other writers in 2019. Didn't really start talking much about writing til weeks later due to how interesting we found each other as people. We made things official on March 26th 2020 since I was hesitant about an LDR, especially because I was 16 at the time (he is one year older than me). Ever since then, we spend as much time as we could together and our matching interests make it easy and it seems like we always have something to talk about. Unfortunately right after we started dating COVID hit and we couldn't make a trip in the summer happen. Besides, he is a university student and still is, graduating almost a year from now. So the only time we can really make meeting happen, is in the summer, as I also work myself and these trips are very expensive for people our age and circumstances. Regardless, he finally came here in 2021 for 2 weeks and met my family. My german family is quite sucky with english and I had to translate almost all the time, but regardless of that they still loved him (especially because he's just such a lovable guy and gives off that vibe). Saying goodybe was harder than I thought it was going to be but we were able to make meeting happen again in 2022, of course me coming to the USA for the first time in my life ever. Customs were a nightmare, they thought I was suspicious due to my nervousness and the fact I was "hesitant" about admitting to the fact we were dating and my already homebound flight did not convince them so I was pulled for further questioning. Awful. I liked Minnesota more than I thought I was going to even though it's so much different from Germany. I got especially along well with his mother and brother and even met his baby nephew! His brother makes jewelry and we made each other engraved rings that I just never really take off and almost haven't for a year now. I stayed for 3 weeks and saying goodbye again, was so painful. But he always assures me theres going to be a point where we don't have to say goodbye anymore. With me coming of age, 20 now, I feel like it got harder to deal with the distance. I loved him as much as I love him now but a part of me was childish and maybe I am still to an extent. But I'm properly becoming an adult and so is he and I want us to set our life up, together, you know? He had talked to me about K1 and CR-1 before and I acknowledged it even though it still to this day took me a lot of research to properly understand it myself. We were going to wait a little bit more, but sometime this January I was just like: This can take longer than it will, even with my wishful thinking and we can afford it right now, so let's do it. We went through Boundless because it made my partner feel more calm about the fact we might do something wrong on our petition, they also had a reduced price deal for the time being because apparently it's going to get more expensive to apply soon? Not sure if it actually will or it was a marketing thing, but regardless we were going to apply. So we received the NOA1 March 28th. The waiting game begins. I feel a little bit hopeful about statistically faster processing time for February and March but I will keep my cool and just wish that they keep up what they're doing right now. Also he's going to be coming again this summer, I'd rather wish I could go there again due to some of my home circumstances making me believe it wouldn't be as nice but honestly, it's him that matters. We're both too anxious about me trying to go there especially because of what happened last time and of course all they can do is send me away but that would be a lot of money lost. So! If you see yourself in a similar position, or not even at all but have some wisdom then I would really welcome you to send me message, maybe! (picture of him at lake superior that he took us to last year!)