I became a United States citizen in December 2011. It was such a special day for me – one that I will never forget. On that day, I (officially) became a proud American, and I cheesily waved my little flag around during the ceremony as we sang the National Anthem. I’ll never give up my UK passport or citizenship, as that is my heritage, but I have embraced all things American (especially the accent, which I’ve had for years and years). My mom took a picture of me during the ceremony, which I thought I’d share (sidenote: this was before Instagram let you remove borders!). On this day, let us celebrate this beautiful country and remember all of the people who have died for our freedom, including a friend of mine, Dimitri Del Castillo. May he rest in peace.

PS These pictures were taken before Instagram let you remove borders!

PPS Featured image via Cupcakes and Cashmere