Welcome To America

"You might not be looking for the promised land, but you might find it anyway, under one of those old familiar names."

This week has turned into an important one as far as morale is concerned. Tuesday's semi-accidental meeting with the District Team Leader will almost certainly lead to an improvement in my position. We'll see what comes of it, but if I can get the kind of position I want with Target (and a nice little sidestep into Human Resources would make me a happy little Michael), I doubt I'll bother looking any further for work. On top of that, I picked up my first paycheck on Friday, opened up a checking account, and then had the opportunity to spend some dollars I'd actually earned in this country. It might not seem like much, but after six months of unemployment and despair that my financial situation was about to become untenable, it meant a lot.

Finally, I opened up the mailbox this afternoon and found my Welcome To America letter waiting for me. That means Ultimate Approval has been granted by the powers that be, and the arrival of my Green Card is now weeks or possibly even days away.

And still I don't really feel it. I mean, I feel better than I did a month ago, but I'm still worried that the ground I'm standing on is getting ready to shift again. In fact, I don't think I'll be entirely comfortable until both job and Green Card are safely in my possession.