I grew up in the countryside about 2 hours from Quito where I lived with my grandmother. I moved to the city where I met my husband and we had two kids. He was a mechanic and I worked odd jobs to help with the bills. My jobs always involved something to do with tourists from other countries. I would hear about a place called America and wanted to someday go see it for myself.
I never wanted my kids to struggle or experience what I did growing up and knew that education was the way out. We placed my son in a private school so he would have the best education possible. It was then, that we realized we could not afford the same education for my daughter. The expense of education was too great, and we just didn't know what we were going to do.
A friend had an uncle who was the chauffeur for a man that worked in the World Bank. His family was moving back to the States and was looking for a nanny. I was 29 when I decided to take the opportunity to see for myself if all the stories of America were true. In July 1970, I left my husband and two kids; my son was 6-and-a-half and my daughter 2-and-a-half. I really didn't know what was waiting for me, or the time I was about to lose seeing my kids growing up.
The family that hired me provided me with a work visa which had to be renewed annually. I was overwhelmed when I arrived in America. The beauty was breathtaking, and I fell in love with it. I had never seen leaves change colors or snow falling. The first winter in America was very hard and I cried many nights. Days, months, years went by and I continued to work as a nanny. I learned about the culture and experienced many new things during this time.
It was during my second year working that I knew I wanted to stay and make this my country. America is a land of opportunity and prosperity. All who are willing to work hard and live according to the laws are able to make a better life for themselves and their families. I wanted that dream for my family too. The family that provided me with my visa was able to help with getting my family to the States. It wasn't until December 1973 that I was able to be...
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some years ago, I was offered a position in Australia due to my skill set, education and marital status. It was an extremely nice job offer. A requirement of the job was AU citizenship and a loyalty oath. so you could say I am a United States citizen by choice even though I was born here. Never regretted the choice I made. Not even now with the total breakdown of the political and justice systems in the US.
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