Citizen Allen.

So...today we were in Warwick Town Hall for my Citizenship Ceremony.There were 13 other people becoming citizens today too. The ceremony started with a video 'Welcome to Country' by boys from the Clontarf Foundation.'The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by doing so equips them to participate more meaningfully in society.'The Mayor then welcomed us and then those becoming citizens stood to make the Citizenship Pledge. Each new citizen was then called out to the front where we shook the Mayor's hand and she introduced us by reading out the information we had sent beforehand detailing why we were becoming citizens and why we had chosen to live in the Southern Downs region.This how I was introduced:'For Nick becoming a Citizen of Australia is about belonging and being able to contribute to and participate fully in life in Australia. His partner is an Australian Citizen by birth.As for settling on the Southern Downs he has never enjoyed drinking water or showering, for that matter, and so it seems like the perfect place to be! Seriously…He has lived on the Southern Downs since the beginning of 2016 but have visited every year since 2009 before that. He has made a home near Stanthorpe with his partner and enjoys the seasonal climate of the area, the friendliness of the people of Stanthorpe and now works for Southern Downs Regional Council as a Library Officer."I was then presented with a floral bouquet and my certificate of Citizenship by one of the boys from the Clontarf Foundation and together had our picture taken. Each of the other citizens were called forward and introduced before we all stood for the National Anthem and the ceremony was over.There were refreshments afterwards of Lamingtons and jam drops. It was so lovely to have some of my 'Australian' family there with me to celebrate the day. As well as Will, Tracy, Maria and Chomo, Yvonne from the Library and her partner Steve had also come to see the ceremony.  She had bought me some Timtams and vegemite as an Aussie welcome.Tracy had made me a lovely metal badge/brooch which she sewed onto the bag Jen made me. It depicts the boundary of the land here at Frogknot and has the road and the dam marked on it. It makes Jen's bag even more special and it was over my shoulder all through the ceremony.So...I now have dual Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Australia. I have already filled in my electoral roll form and handed it in at the Town Hall and will get my passport application off soon.I am very happy to belong to two great nations, in different hemispheres and on opposite sides of the World. If you had asked me 12 years ago where I would be in 2019 I would never have predicted it.