Hello from CO!

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Hello everyone! I'm writing to you from Denver... finally. We entered the US via the Peace Bridge on Saturday and drove across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska then half of Colorado, taking about 23 hours in total (we did stop for the night, we aren't that crazy!)

The POE was extremely easy. We arrived at the border around 6:45 on Saturday morning and there were only a few cars waiting in line. The car in front of us was actually entering on a visa as well, so we were able to see where they went to get into secondary. The officer at the booth basically just asked our citizenship, we told him I wanted to enter on my K-1 visa, and he said, "how long are you staying for?" My fiance being the smart man he is he proclaimed, "Forever!... hopefully" The officer paged another man who came over and took our passports, then we were sent inside. We only waited for about 5 minutes until my name was called. The officer processing the visa was the nicest border official I have ever encountered. He told me he didn't really know what he was doing, but that he went and got a checklist so we would carefully go through it together. He asked if we were married (of course not!) and then said, "I really really hate to ask you this but have you ever been arrested at all?" I said no, and that was the end of it, aside from confirming my address in the US. He took my fingerprints, which went through first try, then explained a little about AOS and EAD. Nothing I didn't already know but it was nice he was trying to be so helpful. Interestingly, he told me that if I came back to visit Canada before my fiance and I were married it was likely they would let me reenter the US. He said it wasn't a guarantee and a little risky so he wouldn't recommend it, but that they normally allow people with K-1's to come back through. He then wrote the Peace Bridge's number down on a piece of paper and told me that if I needed to come back to Canada for emergency purposes after the wedding but before I got AP that I could call the border and explain my position. I'm not really sure how much good that would do me, but he tried. I'm very thankful to him for being so sweet and making everything so incredibly easy.

I was so worried about the POE and didn't think about the drive at all. The drive cross country was the hardest part! Coming into Denver there was a huge thunderstorm, the craziest I've ever seen. As we were driving through the city I heard a loud siren going off. I asked my fiance, "what the heck is that?" he replies, "that's a warning siren for tornado's..." I almost had a heart attack! I even saw a funnel cloud in the sky. It was small and didn't even come close to touching down but wow, what an experience. Welcome to the USA!!

[sdw 10]

Congrats and glad you made it there without any problems

[minnew 4]

Congratulations!! Hope is all going well with you and your fiance!!

[moni_calla 0]

Congrats on making it in safely, what a great BO giving you all the extra info!

[JillA 2]

Welcome and congrats! Happy you had a nice officer, as did I! I wouldn't trust what he said though about entering back without AP, sometimes you can't trust what the officers tell you LOL! But nice of him anyway!

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Welcome and congrats! Happy you had a nice officer, as did I! I wouldn't trust what he said though about entering back without AP, sometimes you can't trust what the officers tell you LOL! But nice of him anyway!

I was thinking the same thing! I'm pretty sure he didn't really know what he was talking about, but I appreciated the effort regardless. It was definitely nice to have someone who seemed to care!

Thanks for the well wishes everyone

[MrsCat 6]

Congrats Huggles

[trailmix 77]

Hi Huggles,

Long trip! Glad your POE experience was good

[TimandJoyce 1]

That's great Huggles!! Nice and easy POE, and even a thunderstorm!! Ok..I happen to love those..so it would be exciting!!

Have fun in your new domain!! I can't wait until it's my turn!!

[Carlawarla 1]

Welcome to the U.S.A. Huggles! Sounds like you had a real lovely experience crossing the border. That's always a nice way to start your first day in the U.S.! You get used to the sirens...we have a "test" the first Monday of the month at 11 a.m. and I barely hear them anymore. Enjoy...the rest of your life!

[OBX 51]

Happy to hear you made it safely and that the POE at the Peace Bridge was painless. I am crossing there tomorrow; hopefully I will be processd by someone just as nice. Population in Welland will now be down by two!

All the best in your new home.

[Kimbear 53]

congratualtions Huggles! Glad to hear you got there safely..what a drive! May you have many more happy days ahead of you

[BermyCat 1]

Welcome to the US!

The drive was the hardest part for us too. There were two snowstroms back to back. The weather people were calling it snow-madeggon.

~ Catherine

[Jenni and Bo 0]

Congrats and Welcome I'm sure you are just loving the time with your love...all the pain in the butt waiting seems completely worth it eh?

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Thanks everyone!

Leaving your friends and family is so so hard, harder then I would have ever imagined, but now that I'm here the process seems more than worth it. I can't wait to go and explore Colorado! After I unpack... and clean... And finish planning the wedding. There are thunderstorm warnings for today yet again! I really didn't sign up for tornado watches when I moved here... I was told they never happen! I think someone lied!

Good luck OBX! I hope things go as smoothly for you as they did for me. Everyone I encountered in secondary was super nice and helpful. It makes me think that they have new people come in around 6-7, because nobody seemed really grumpy or tired.

They may have to update the "welcome to Welland" sign now.