Became a US citizen 2 years ago and my first travel experience as a US citizen

[BigDaddy28 228]

Hello:

I wanted to post my travel experience as a US citizen because I had so much pride in showing my US passport.

First my travel was to my home country Tunisia and France and back to the US. Second I respected the entry and exit laws of each country by showing the appropriate passport.

So I was traveling to my home country mainly with my wife and three kids. I always overthink stuff when it comes to laws and that happened to me when I applied for my ROC and citizenship and traveling to my country lol.

I also had fear because of what was going on in the world these days, and I was afraid that I wouldve been picked by authorities in paris and the US just because of my origin, name, religious belief.

Traveling day comes took all passports ( me and two of my kids were dual citizens, my wife and my other kid are just US citizens). When I went to my home country I presented my Tunisian passport. Entry was quick, no questions asked.

On a side note my parents had their interview for IR5 visa, however the guards couldn't let me and 2 other US citizens in the embassy because of security measures even when we showed our US passports ( they said we needed an appointment to get). I thought to myself what if it was an emergency will an appointment be necessary?

When we were traveling back to the US we had a long layover in paris. Of course getting out Tunisia I showed my Tunisian passport. Coming to paris I showed US passports for all family members. I thought we were going to be asked questions about how long our stay was, do we have any money... However the officer just stamped our passport and let us go. At that moment the happiness I had when we were let in was great. The pride I had in showing a US passport in a foreign country was so awesome. ( I know some of yall are probably thinking this guy is a weirdo, but it's all right lol).

So after our layover,we were coming back to the US. I was scared honestly. The last time I came back to the US (with a green card) from my home country, a US representative was in the gate to question me and some other people ( some were US citizens). I didn't get offended and I understood it was a security measure to protect the country which I support. This time though no one was in the gate but flight representatives. As I said I always overthink stuff, and I start imagining what could go south in the boarder. So we come to the US and I told my wife they might question me and run all kind of screenings about me and I started freaking out. My wife said, relax nothing will happen. And boy she was right. I presented my US passport for all family members, the officer was smiling and joking with the kids man that put me at ease. he asked how long were we out of the country, did we go to other countries, did we bring anything prohibited? and than he stamped all of our passports and he said Welcome Home. I almost cried hearing those 2 words. I missed the US more than I thought I would. Going to France and Tunisia made me appreciate the US, made me love the US more and made me realize that the US is my home country too. It made me realize that I want to spend the rest of my life in the US.

I don't know about yall but I was so proud showing my US passport, getting it stamped. That made me feel like I belong here. That I might not be a born American but Im 1000% American. It made me feel like I belong to THE GREATEST NATION on earth.

That was my story.

Yall have a good day.

[jm302music 25]

Thanks for sharing your story, Silkafi! You offer a very inspiring and helpful perspective on our country.

Joel

[BigDaddy28 228]

Thanks for sharing your story, Silkafi! You offer a very inspiring and helpful perspective on our country.

Joel

I'm glad I did Joe. That was my goal to show how great this country is. To show that once you are an American, you are an American regardless of your birthplace or belief.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Thanks for sharing. I felt proud that you understood the reasoning that America is such a great country. From our Constitution to the different ethnic groups that make the fabric of this country. Hearing you say that you feel you are an American and you love this country is such a joy to see and feel your appreciation in your words.

There have been many things written and sung about the USA. May I share a few of my favorites to you?

Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM

John Wayne "Taps" An American Tribute to Veterans -

Lee Greenwood sings "God Bless the USA -

Welcome to AMERICA. May she shine her freedoms on you and your family.

[BigDaddy28 228]

Thanks for sharing. I felt proud that you understood the reasoning that America is such a great country. From our Constitution to the different ethnic groups that make the fabric of this country. Hearing you say that you feel you are an American and you love this country is such a joy to see and feel your appreciation in your words.

There have been many things written and sung about the USA. May I share a few of my favorites to you?

Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM

John Wayne "Taps" An American Tribute to Veterans - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDakzCZ3ZdE

Lee Greenwood sings "God Bless the USA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvPgYLhOq24

Welcome to AMERICA. May she shine her freedoms on you and your family.

Thank you so much for the videos, I loved them. Each one of them is unique. God bless you and God bless the American people and may God bless America.

[BigDaddy28 228]

Thanks for sharing. I felt proud that you understood the reasoning that America is such a great country. From our Constitution to the different ethnic groups that make the fabric of this country. Hearing you say that you feel you are an American and you love this country is such a joy to see and feel your appreciation in your words.

There have been many things written and sung about the USA. May I share a few of my favorites to you?

Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM

John Wayne "Taps" An American Tribute to Veterans -

Lee Greenwood sings "God Bless the USA -

Welcome to AMERICA. May she shine her freedoms on you and your family.

I still love getting back here to watch the videos you shared with me thanks again.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

I still love getting back here to watch the videos you shared with me thanks again.

Please share your fellings with others about your love for America. If every immigrant, legal or illegal, shared your sentiment towards America it would be a safer, stronger and kinder place to live.

[BigDaddy28 228]

Please share your fellings with others about your love for America. If every immigrant, legal or illegal, shared your sentiment towards America it would be a safer, stronger and kinder place to live.

I will absolutely do that.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

What an inspiring story. Thanks so much for having posted it.

[agrabs 241]

Beautiful story. Thank you for sharing!

[RodDetroit 118]

Hello:

I wanted to post my travel experience as a US citizen because I had so much pride in showing my US passport.

First my travel was to my home country Tunisia and France and back to the US. Second I respected the entry and exit laws of each country by showing the appropriate passport.

So I was traveling to my home country mainly with my wife and three kids. I always overthink stuff when it comes to laws and that happened to me when I applied for my ROC and citizenship and traveling to my country lol.

I also had fear because of what was going on in the world these days, and I was afraid that I wouldve been picked by authorities in paris and the US just because of my origin, name, religious belief.

Traveling day comes took all passports ( me and two of my kids were dual citizens, my wife and my other kid are just US citizens). When I went to my home country I presented my Tunisian passport. Entry was quick, no questions asked.

On a side note my parents had their interview for IR5 visa, however the guards couldn't let me and 2 other US citizens in the embassy because of security measures even when we showed our US passports ( they said we needed an appointment to get). I thought to myself what if it was an emergency will an appointment be necessary?

When we were traveling back to the US we had a long layover in paris. Of course getting out Tunisia I showed my Tunisian passport. Coming to paris I showed US passports for all family members. I thought we were going to be asked questions about how long our stay was, do we have any money... However the officer just stamped our passport and let us go. At that moment the happiness I had when we were let in was great. The pride I had in showing a US passport in a foreign country was so awesome. ( I know some of yall are probably thinking this guy is a weirdo, but it's all right lol).

So after our layover,we were coming back to the US. I was scared honestly. The last time I came back to the US (with a green card) from my home country, a US representative was in the gate to question me and some other people ( some were US citizens). I didn't get offended and I understood it was a security measure to protect the country which I support. This time though no one was in the gate but flight representatives. As I said I always overthink stuff, and I start imagining what could go south in the boarder. So we come to the US and I told my wife they might question me and run all kind of screenings about me and I started freaking out. My wife said, relax nothing will happen. And boy she was right. I presented my US passport for all family members, the officer was smiling and joking with the kids man that put me at ease. he asked how long were we out of the country, did we go to other countries, did we bring anything prohibited? and than he stamped all of our passports and he said Welcome Home. I almost cried hearing those 2 words. I missed the US more than I thought I would. Going to France and Tunisia made me appreciate the US, made me love the US more and made me realize that the US is my home country too. It made me realize that I want to spend the rest of my life in the US.

I don't know about yall but I was so proud showing my US passport, getting it stamped. That made me feel like I belong here. That I might not be a born American but Im 1000% American. It made me feel like I belong to THE GREATEST NATION on earth.

That was my story.

Yall have a good day.

I still think that having a European passport is better for traveling purposes than a US one but in your case is more shocking because the Tunisian passport has so many restrictions . European passport are in the ranks 1-5 , US passport rank 4 and the Tunisian passport is in the rank 65

https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php

[charmander 692]

I still think that having a European passport is better for traveling purposes than a US one but in your case is more shocking because the Tunisian passport has so many restrictions . European passport are in the ranks 1-5 , US passport rank 4 and the Tunisian passport is in the rank 65

https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php

These type of rankings do not accurately reflect ease of traveling because it is purely based on quantity. A better way to rank passports would be weighing more on touristic destinations. They could pick world's top 50 touristic countries (statistics released by WTO) and rank passports based on how many of these you can travel visa free.

EU vs US passports differ only in a few number of countries that can be thought touristic. For instance, Brazil. US citizens need Brazilian visa, EU passports don't but that's pretty much about it.

In my case, Turkish passport also have a lot of visa requirements, specifically from touristic countries.I had 4 Schengen visas in the last 15 years and it sucked to go through the consulate processing every time. I'll be traveling to Europe this October for the first time as a US citizen and hence visa free and feeling very very very good about not going through the visa hassle again.

[BigDaddy28 228]

I still think that having a European passport is better for traveling purposes than a US one but in your case is more shocking because the Tunisian passport has so many restrictions . European passport are in the ranks 1-5 , US passport rank 4 and the Tunisian passport is in the rank 65

https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php

EU passports (most) and US passports are both strong passports when it comes to visa free. The only thing that an Eu passport is better than a US one is that it gives its holder the right to work and live everywhere in Europe. However when you have to come to the US you still have to get authorization from the US. On the other hand a US passport doesn't give you any right to work and live in Europe but you can go there with no authorization pretty much all over Europe for a set period of time (you can't work though).

Even though the Tunisian one is not really reliable when it comes to visa free it gives me freedom to go to other countries EU and US passports need visa to go through such as: Algeria, Morroco (I believe), Mouritania, Turkey (EU passports are exempt but not US), brazil...

Even though I don't have an EU passport ( though I'm a European Descent), my US passport and Tunisian passport get me almost anywhere in the world as an EU passport.

So I agree each passport has benefits that makes standout.