Still waiting….. and waiting….. and waiting…….

It is for sure the hardest part, Waiting…….   Keeping one’s self busy is possible, but the mind always wanders, and sometimes if your like me, it wanders to all the negative thoughts you try to avoid, but always there are there, and sometimes you start believing them…

Many changes are occurring for me, and I hate change!  Always have, always will.  Being in the most important process of our marriage is not a good time for this change, especially when I need my husband home with me more than ever now.   Then I’m reminded, our fate is in the hands of a person who has no clue of us.   How can one judge a relationship without ever talking to the couple, or their family?

Then you pray they are in a good mood, that they did not break up with their ‘Love of their life” or had a fight with husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, or if they have not had their caffeine fix for the day……

Then the second biggest question is when will we know the outcome?  It’s not a book that we can scan to the last few pages and see if they live Happily Ever After, that would be too easy, but I wish.

In mean while , keep busy, prepare for the next step.  I’ve already done that part, now my time after a 10 hour  work day is packing, and sorting through a 3 bedroom house, preparing for a final garage sale…….

We don’t pick who we fall in love with, even if they are an ocean away…  but I know my heart and my soul is an ocean away- my husband and my family…….

Tick Tock, Tick…

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, still waiting on word from USCIS.   Lately been reading (which I should not be doing) about RFE, so many new things USCIS has been asking for on RFE.  Not all that long ago all you needed for a CR-1 or a IR-1 was a marriage cert, few emails, pics, and proof of a on going relationship after marriage, Now they are asking for stuff that is usually asked at an interview.

So of course, I hurriedly reviewed our 12 inch stack of papers, muddering over the pile for hours, reading and looking over every sheet submitted, but still in back of mind, (was there anything I missed?) Of course day after day, checking to see if case has been touched, feeling the heart pound, then stop in mid stream as the screen changes to show last date case was touched.  An emontional roller-coaster least to say.

While all along, making plans silently of a exile to Egypt in my blonde head. What if?, can I? will we?, etc. etc.   Its a hard journey not knowing the outcome.  After all, its not a novel where you can read the last few pages of the final chapter to see how it ends………  So what do you do in the mean while?, continue planning the next step,  which is NVC, while silently praying you arrive at the step soon.

As I browsed through the pictures I picked up from my last week in Egypt just 2 short weeks ago, the memories came pouring back, heard the laughter in my head of a special night at our apartment with family. The smiles, laughs, hugs and kissed, bitter sweet. Then remembering saying good-bye to all that night, my heart tightened, tears filled my eyes, trying to hold back, but its impossible.

After the long days of wondering, you lay in bed and think, that your whole future is the hands of a person, praying they had a good day, in a good mood, that will look at your case fairly and with an open mind, to see that a marriage/relationship, see the close family bonds there in random pics.   After all, how do you really prove a true and loving relationship.   Keep the faith, is all i can say, and something especially now, I need to remember to do…………..

 

 

As time goes by…….

It’s been a few days since I’ve blogged,  as the title says, As time goes by, other events take your mind off the immigration process, and sometimes it is a bit of a relief…….. for me its been an eventful week of car trouble, and happily to say, they are resolved….. now my thoughts of getting ready to leave to Egypt, to see my husband and family,   that is happy planning to me, and a very much welcomed event……..

But still you wonder in the back of your mind,  When?   the time does come, not as soon as we wish for, but it does come. Most of the time, it comes unexpectedly, when you least expect it. That is the true joy, that one minute you’re not breathing, or eating, or dreaming of that glorious day, it comes.

As I mentioned numerous times, keep a normal routine, do what you have always done, but yet, keep one step ahead of what happens after you get the NOA 2, Notice of Action from USCIS that your petition has been approved.  Once it has been approved, you start the NVC stage, National Visa Stage, this can be over whelming at times, gathering docs you need now that you did not need for your petition that was recently approved.   You need police certificates from your spouse’s country, you need your 3 past tax returns , to show you can support them, that they wont be a public write off. This is also the stage where Original documents are needed, not no photo copies that you used for your petition.

All this can take time to gather, so start early. Hopefully you keep all your pay check stubs, and have your former past tax returns, if not you can request previous years of your filed and accepted tax return with the IRS, all you do is down the form from their site, fill it out and fax it to them, Usually takes about a week to receive them.

Another thing you need to find out how your spouse can obtain a Police Cert/Report from where they live and possible if they lived in other countries, these can take anywhere from a week to obtain to months in some countries, so start early.

There is always things to do when in this process……… so plan accordingly…….

The NVC stage is also where your spouse becomes more active in the process, has to sign a form to appoint you to be his “agent” in matters of the NVC, this is easier than it sounds.  One thing which is the hardest for some people at NVC is being able to show they make enough to support him or her, their self, and if the Petitioner has children, has to show he or she can support all on their salary.    This is where the Poverty Guide lines come in, just check their site, pick how many people your supporting, and the is the amount you need to make to show NVC you can do this.

Other wise, you’re going to need a Co Sponsor, and this responsibility is not taken lightly when your asked to sign for someone, most don’t want to Co sponsor, and I don’t blame them. Cause they are solely responsible for the Petitioner, the Beneficiary, themselves, and if they have a spouse and children also.      That is a lot of responsibility for one person……..

One good things with NVC, you don’t need to have your documents translated into English, cause in most cases the interview is done in the Beneficiary country of origin or residence.  So that saves a lot on fee’s for translation. Finding a good translator is not easy, and then finding a Certified Translator in your spouse language is  no  amusement park of fun.  Clearly mark every document that is in a foreign lauguage, its easier for NVC then, and will keep you from spending a eternity at this stage.

So as I said, there is always something to do in this progress, so start early, and keep your head, it’s not so bad.  Just keep a step ahead, and the time will go by faster then you think…….. Read up on your next stage, it will help you better understand what to expect and what to do….

I’ve just been hit…… now the getting up is up to me………

I’ve just been hit, and now the getting up is up to me……… this afternoon I spent my time printing out on going evidence, copies of life insurance on each other, chats, family chats, updated joint banking account, and realized, I have a marriage just like any other couple who are together under one roof, but an ocean away…….

Tears started flowing, and nerves started to tremble, lost all control of my emotions…… which I was proud that I kept in control until today.     Despair and negative thoughts invaded my head, wondering what the hell……. why is it so hard to have a normal life with the person you love, adore, cherish with every breath I take, why are we apart?  I look around and a happy/jealous invades me, happy for couples who are together, but jealous of what they have, cause they are with their loved ones,and I’m not.   Sometimes the face of your loved one is not enough, you want more. I have fallen into the hole that I warned everyone about, the hole to stay away from.  Even a fireman without a collar-bone could   not rescue me at this minute from this hole.  For the first time in my life, I feel I’m alone, and without a hope in the world, this process can do this to you, even if nothing has happened with you case. I have turned into the person I told you to avoid, the negative ones, the depressed ones, the one’s that can not shut the hell up about their case.    In my case, today my dogs have heard me express my sorrows, and heard the whimpers with tears coming from me as I print away all I could find. Now I will have to get therapy for them………,  Oh and a few sobbing texts to my good friend/sister, she always see’s the light at the end of a tunnel, I usually look down the tunnel and say “We’re screwed”…..     “Gotta throw in some humor”………..

This process will kick your ass 6 different ways to Sunday, that is when its best to walk away from it for a bit, take a break from it all. I’m done for the evening printing, searching, sort, stapling, and paper punching papers for a neat organized note book.  Now its time for me to sort it all out , correction, sort myself out in my head.

So………… lesson leared from this posting, print your on going evidence out then, as soon as it happens, dont let it pile up on your like I have done for the past 4 weeks, cause it will get  to you.    Things will be better in the morning, as my mom use to tell me, and she was always right.    xx

Keeping your sanity while doing the immigration waltz……..

Keeping your sanity while in the immigration is one hell of a balancing act to perform. After all, when in the process, you find yourself thinking of it every waking  moment, and dream of it too, more like nightmares.    As I mentioned before in previous posts, try to keep your normal routines, activities, work, or whatever your daily life keeps you busy with.

Another important thing is talk with your friends who have been and done the process, they are the one’s that understand you the most, and to me, its one of my greatest releases from the process. Just talking with them, is a comfort. Even if it is not about the immigration process, it eases the stress of it.

This evening I did a posting on Facebook, and  many of my friends on my FB friends list have been in the process and made it through with little or no bruising, and I thank God for them. Anyways, a posting of hoodies turned into 391 comments, now that is a lot of chatting on a FB post, from talk of hoodies, to bras, to our mens cologne, to horror movies,  but I will be honest, it was relaxing to me, just to sit and laugh, and be “normal” for a while with very little thoughts or worry of my immigration process, I could breath again, when I was not laughing my arse off……. AND you need that release, something to renew yourself with, other wise you will crater…. I actually felt better afterwards.

Take time for yourself, that is important, especially in a stressful process.  This is one of the most important journey you and your spouse will take together, you need to relax a bit, and after all, being all stressed out will not make the process any easier or quicker……. so be good to yourself, take time for yourself, you will get through this process, it will not last forever…. So as I wind down for the night, a special Thank you will be said for my friends who made me laugh tonight, and made me feel “normal” again.    Love you all my Ladies. xxx

Dare I say it?, religion ,cultural and age differences in a marriage…..

The title alone can ignite fireworks……. but it is important in a marriage, and for the marriage to last.

I myself is a Christian, Roman Catholic to be exact, private schools, church on Wednesday night, not to mention Sunday school and Sunday services as a young girl growing up……. and I married a man who is a different religion, one that I do not know a lot about, but I respect his religion.  There is truly not much of a difference in our religions we believe in Heaven and Hell, we pray to the Devine, we believe our souls will go to heaven, and will be Judge by God/Allah almighty,  Muslims pray 5 times a day, and let’s be truthful, Christians hardly find time to pray once a day, there I said it………    5 times a day Muslims pray, even during the Revolution in Egypt last winter, in the middle of tear gas, molotov cocktails, and blood shed,  Muslims all prayed at prayer time, the protestors, the military, the police and who ever else was in Tahrir Square during that time, its is a site to see, almost unbelievable, but that is the Muslim religion,dedicated, God bless them.

As I mentioned, I’m not Muslim, and have no plans to convert, My husband asked for my hand in marriage and knew I was a Christian, he married a Christian, and I’m still a Christian.   Many people have told me, “You must convert, to please your husband”     Please my husband?, so our marriage will last and be stronger?,    try again people.    As it is, I pray with my husband when I’m with him, not the  way he prays, but I do respect his wishes, that I cover my hair, and I do.

I pray my own prayers, and I say Jesus Christ, and I make the sign of the cross after prayers,  I don’t say Allah in my prayers,  cause Allah is not what I was taught as a young girl……  and my husband respects me for it, and that I’m not trying to be something I’m not, and not trying to “just” please him. Respect is what makes a marriage stronger and a marriage last, R E S P E C T………. My husband told me to follow my heart,  my religion to him and his /our family does not matter.They know I’m Christian, and they do not love me any less cause I’m a Christian….

THEN, I’ve been told that even in the immigration process, a couple being a different religions is a RED flag, my reply to that, Camel Shit , plain and simple, that is not true. A RED flag  is more likely if the couple can barely communicate to each other, cause if they can’t  talk to each other and  understand each other, then how in the hell do you then?, hand signals?, pft…… Enough of the communication section of this blog installment, like I said , You can’t communicate, your screwed……

Another Red flag can sometimes be a large age difference , especially if the woman is way older.  And what I mean by the woman, the “American-Petitioner” is considerably older, 18-20 plus years , and YES there has been cases, and all went smoothly.  But from the women I know they are in their mid to late 40′s and husbands no younger than 33 Yes that is an age difference, but it is more of an acceptable age difference. They are not kids, they are more mature than a young  early twenty something person.

But let’s be real here,  when she the ”American-Petitioner” is in her 40′s or 50′s and he ”Foreigner-Beneficiary” is just 22 or 23 years old,  and yes Love see’s no age, but like I said to one woman , “Are you adopting him or marrying him?”  The C.O. officer conducting the interview see’s it very clearly too.  And in many cases believes the beneficiary is using the petitioner to get a visa to the USA, and YES it does happen people, everyday, from every country.     And if anyone is wondering, YES I’m a cougar, I’m 14 MONTHS older than my husband, HA!,   14 months is nothing to immigration…… We are both in our mid 40′s……. both been married before, we are the same Brady Bunch, Oscar Mayer, Greece, Saturday Night Fever generation…….and we communicate beautifully, I understand every word spoken in his arabic accent, and he understands every word spoken in my Texas-California-slight European accent…… Only time we don’t understand each other is when he goes off on me in Arabic, and I fire back in French, HA!!!

Bottom line of tonight’s posting is, be yourself, do not change to please the spouse  in religion, or to fit in,    respecting each other is what counts , as for communication, all I can say, you better work on it, or your going to go down in flames at interview, as for age, It’s a marriage, not an adoption………. In American society, there are “Trophy Wives, but in immigration, there are no trophy ”Boy Toys”………

Friends, and the immigration waltz…..

I have to admit, I’m lucky, I have friends who have taken this journey, but at this minute,  2 very good friends who took the journey  comes to mind , their journey’s were relatively quick by Immigration processing times of today, they have  been a constant support for me on this journey. They have heard me laugh and cry, sometimes both at once over the immigration process. They have all the confidence in the world our case will go fast, and smoothly, I’m glad they are sure, I’m the negative one, but we are our own worse critic in life and in certain situations……

It is the most important thing to remember in this process, keep your sence of humor, you have to,and chatting with close friends who understands in this process, cause they have been in the same pair of shoes you stand in now.

My 2 close girlfriends who both took this same journey and succeeded with very little bruising, and both now very happy with their life here with their husbands. One is in Kentucky the other in Alabama, I envy them, but I know one day I will have the same as they do.   The funny part about it, I never laid eyes on them face to face, but I feel closer to them then anyone I have ever met.  I also have a close friend who is in the process, and I feel her pain, we have helped each other in our journey’s, and know we are there for each other always,  I wish her all the happiness in the world.  Having friends who went through or are in  the process are the best one’s , cause they understand every feeling your going through in this process.  The one’s whose never dealt with this, has no idea where your coming from, have no idea what a NOA 1 is,  or a NOA2  , or much less AP is, its all foreign talk to some people, but who have gone down the road paved to hell, oh sorry, Immigration,  know exactly what those  terms are, they are the one’s that stick by you no matter what.. the one’s who are always positive,  and they are the one’s that tell you have a drink and cigarette.

For the one’s who have found love overseas, will maybe one day take this journey, but as I have said a number of times, think with your head and not your heart. Yes love over comes all, but both people in a relationship must be fully committed to each other,and supporting each other emotionally through the process.  I’m very lucky there with my husband, he has always been a big support of me when I’m down, and always makes me feel better even an ocean away…… I can be crying for missing him so much, then in next minute I’m wetting my pants from him making me laugh so hard……

In many respects I think this process is harder on the man, cause he is an ocean away and feels helpless when his wife is down and sad over the time it takes in this mess, the man is the gladiator, the protector, the hero in the womans heart, the man always shows strength to his wife,  mine does at least, and one more reason of why I love and adore him, he is truly my hero in life.    So, if and when you take this journey, I hope your lucky enough to have the friends I have and the husband I do.  It is not an easy journey, but its easier with true friends and a caring  spouse.

Now there is always another kind of friend, the always negative one, due to one reason or another. Maybe a former  marriage  to a foreign national that went wrong, or one that is just not happy in their marriage, and takes it out on the whole world. One who will try to analyze your case,and come up with a million reason of why you will have a hard road with immigration.   Then you get the Know it All’s, who knows every horror story of immigration out there, and of course your journey is just like their friends who took years and years, etc.,  stir clear of them when they start analyzing what could go wrong with your case.   As I stated before, your petition with immigration is like your finger prints, there is none just like yours, all cases are different from one point or another….   Friends are like finger prints also, no two are the same, and I thank God for my  friends……..

End of the lonely holiday season….

New year has begun, thanking the holidays are over under my breath. Being apart from your spouse is hard enough, but worse during the holiday season. As it is now, we miss too many important daily family events, birthdays, family dinners, and recently the birth of 2 children in our family in Egypt.    It’s not the same just seeing pics on a Facebook profile wall or being sent to you in your email. You want to be there with him or her, be there with family and friends, or when your spouse is sick is the worse, you feel so helpless, but not much you can do for them an ocean away.  You miss out on so much that can never be made up with time.        going forward…….  as I mentioned in past posts, while you and spouse is in the journey, try to keep things as normal as before, or at least close to normal.   My husband and I have finally been able to come to a firm date of when I will come home to see him and our family.   We were like kids  in a candy store this evening chatting of all we were going to do when I’m home there in about 8 weeks,   10 months is too long to be apart, especially when you just married. Try to keep some normal routine while in this waiting game process.

Planning a trip back to your spouse is a great spirit lifter in life, and keeps you busy instead of wondering when will you receive the NOA2,  Notice of Action  from immigration stating your petition has been approved.    The normal process time is 180 days, 5 months, but do not bank on it, we are dealing with the government, they don’t keep time. As President Ronald Reagan said,  “The scariest words ever spoken were, I’m from the Government, I’m here to help you”   with that said, receiving NOA 2 does not mean your spouse has been granted his visa, its only the first step, we will cover all in this blog, step by step as my journey goes along. One last thing, remember these people at immigration are doing their job too, as in any job as your’s , you may not like it, but your doing the job your being paid for.

So, lets start.   You married a man or woman from another country, and you want a life together, most already know the answer, we will live in USA, therefore you begin a love / hate relationship with USCIS, mainly a hate relationship… cause we all want our life together now, and less face it, we lack in the patience department. Especially when we are handing over $420.00 for them to perform a service for us. We pay, we want our spouse with us  now, but this is no supermarket process, we don’t go down isle 2, borowse for a while, then pick up a spouse, throw them on the counter and pay for them and walk out with them.  

Whats next?, well start reading about the process if you have no idea, as I mentioned there are some decent immigration website out there with all the instructions and forms you need, and then there is the USCIS website also for your guidance.

Keep in mind the USCIS website will give you the basics forms  to send in for the filing the petition, I do suggest immigration website to help you add to your petition, cause you’re going to need to show evidence of a bona fide relationship, before and after the marriage, right  up to the time you send it to USCIS. And keep all  chats, mailing to each other, via post or email, or sms messages after you send in that petition. You will need to show its a on going relationship, right up to the day of the interview, as with my husband and myself communicating on some daily  form with us is just like breathing, its a natural thing.  It’s the air in our lungs…… You live for each other, die for each other.

Evidence is such as chats with your spouse, hopefully you saved them, also phone bills, text message, something showing an on going communication.   Also your going to need pictures of you and him or her, pics with them and family, friends. This is where many make mistakes, when you’re in this process, immigration want to see all pics, not just of the happy couple, they want it all. Mainly to show the relationship is not a secret, if immigration suspects the relationship is a secret, then most likely fraud is involved. And its true, why in the world would you keep a marriage a secret from family and friends?, unless one party, mainly the intending foreigner has something to hide. If you already suspect that, run like hell, now……………… if he or she hides this joyous occasion from friends and family, then what are they hiding from you now????   Think with head, not the heart…..

Gathering all this evidence does take some time, collect as much as you have, front loading your petition is better than under loading it. Once you do have it all together, make copies of the entire packet, ours had to be 3 inches thick, looked more like a novel, but praying it was not going to be titled, Gone with the Wind, or the Towering Inferno, after all it was our life together, before the marriage, during and after when I returned home to the States,  but we had just about all evidence from almost day one of when our relationship began. All the honey bunny love chats, emails, right down to the fighting emails and chats, after all what couple don’t fight, its life, and its a part of your relationship. Just black out the really personal lines, immigration don’t want to know of the dancing of tongues in each other mouths. (Hummm, did I black out those parts?)  oh sorry, moving on…….   as I mentioned keep an entire copy of it all, pics also.    I think of all of this as part of life, after-all, well at least me, I keep copies of the bills I pay , match up the cancelled check, you keep copies of tax returns, birth certs., important docs in our lives…… paper trail in life everything, especially when your dealing with the government.

Bottom line of this installment of my blog, its a part of life, you will get through this, just keep patient, organized, and keep the bourbon around…. as for now, as I said holidays are over and so is holiday break, back to work tomorrow, and some normal routine again during the work week….   I’m not here to tell you how to do the immigration process,and I’m not an immigration attorney, I’m just here to share our up and downs of life when in this progress and share some humor…. Always keep your humor in life…….. Will write again in a couple of days.

Egypt……

Adjusting to a marriage an ocean away…..

Being newlyweds is enough of a adjustment under the same roof then  an ocean or sometimes more then an ocean away. Then dealing with how to build a life, which again is hard enough together, much less when your apart. This is where you find out what your truly made of, and have the soul and heart to continue fighting a system that at times can be brutal, and lets face it, it can break or make a marriage.  Many have taken the ride on USCIS airways as I refer to the system, and have crashed and burned, others made the journey un bruised, and living happily here in the USA. You will also find out if your spouse is the person he or she portrays themselves to be , if the ugly side of them shows, run like hell, cause coming here is not going to make a marriage perfect, don’t kid yourself, it makes things worse for you.

The most important thing to remember, you’re  not the first to do this process, and by no means, you will not be the last couple on earth to do this long process…… so be ready for a ride, smooth or bumpy, put your seats backs and trays  in their up right positions, say a prayer, and you will be religious once this process is over,  this is the very first part of your journey, and even if you succeed this process, there is the new journey of when your spouse arrives in the US, and the real adjustments begins…… we will cover that as my journey continues……….. Life is full of journeys

First thing, keep your wits in this journey, you’re going to need all you have the whole way….. not to mention the bourbon, tequila or what ever spirits you like, there is many times you want to give up, don’t,  giving up gets you nothing…… But also, don’t make it your main concern in life, cause daily life continues in this process. Your still going to get up and go to work everyday, deal with errands, paying the bills, daily life continues no matter what is happening in your immigration journey. Do not let this process consume your life, never forget this , never let it consume you, otherwise, you will stress out to no means, and when that happens, daily life becomes hell. Try to continue some kind of normalcy every day, such as chatting with your spouse, date night with him or her, do all the same things you did before you married,  and don’t always talk about the process during your whole chat time.Talking about it and letting it consume your life will not make the process any faster. Keep up your activities, such as working out, or taking kids to their functions ( if you have children), keep daily life as it was before…. and for Pete sake, do not be trolling on the immigration helps sites, to many of them are on going drama events, if you do find a immigration  self-help site, just stick to the basics, a lot of these sites are helpful, such as finding out the next steps, or finding out how to fill out the forms for the immigration process, and how the process is performed. 

  I’ve found on some sites, there are too many horror stories, most are made up added drama to a mild case, but as nature, we all love to add the horror to make it sounds like they survived  Freddy Kruger or Michael Myers , and lived to tell about it. Well those two horror story characters are most likely more compassionate then some of the C.O.’s who will perform the interview to determine if your spouse is given the privilege to come to US to live with you. As yes, they are looking at your best well being, and they can smell a fraud a mile away,  they are doing their job, we may not always agree with their decisions, especially if your denied a visa for one reason or another. But they also know when a relationship is real and your spouse is given the privilege to come live with you.

There has been cases when a relationship was real, but the C.O. saw it a different way, those are the bloody endings, some  give up , some put on the armor and do it all over again.   Those are the ones who have my heart.

Each case is different, just like your finger prints, your prints are unique, none  like yours.

There has been some people who have been in this process before, and done it again for one reason or another, rather if they came to their senses and realized their other half is not the person they appeared to be, and cancelled the petition with USCIS, then found love again  then there has been others that did the process, and only to have the spouse divorce them shortly after receiving the Green Card, and there ARE too many cases like that out there. Then the American finds love again, and starts the process all over again, that in many cases is a RED flag to USCIS, rather the new relationship is truly real or if the intending immigrate is fraudulent with his or her intentions with the marriage. It happens all the time, so as I said earlier, marrying a person from another country first time after months and months of chatting  or maybe even visiting them a time before the marriage is possible suicide for YOU. But there is many true love relationships and marry for the right reasons, not for just coming to America.

There are many in a very happy marriage that did the journey and came out of it pretty much un-bruised. You never truly know a person until you live with them. With anything in life, use your head and not your heart. Rome was not  a day, and neither is a marriage. Especially when your trying to keep a marriage alive oceans away, even talking about everyday events via a web cameras is by no means the same as face to face.   Ever try to go over your month finances or talk about important events of that day over the web camera?, ever try to fill out insurance  or life insurance forms, over the net with you spouse,  and with drop calls,and static, the net slow,well its frustrating and impossible.  

 Love does overcome all, there is always options, as for that is why I started this blog and titled it, Possible Exile to Egypt?, and yes I will go  to my husband to live IF we are denied, cause being together is more important then living here in USA as my husband tells me all the time,” Live or Die Beth-Beth,”  I’m a Girlie Girl, and love my birth country and want to try for a life here, so we will try,  if not, then I will be buying lots of skin creams, Chapstick and learning Egyptian Arabic pack up my dogs and home for a life in the land of  Pharaohs and pyramids. To me, giving up life here with and not having dinner on a tray on my knees in front of the video camera and  being with my husband is all worth it, after all, we marry the ones we want a life with, no matter where that life may be.  Kissing a laptop screen is no means the same as a true and tender kiss with you lover.