Finally British!

YAY! After 6 long years of paperwork, fees and uncertainty, it’s official. They can’t kick us out anymore!
In mid-October (after a couple months waiting), we finally received confirmation that our application for UK citizenship had been accepted. Of course, we were ecstatic to no longer have the process hanging over our heads. And, with the Eurozone still in tact (for now), citizenship means we are now free to move and work about the region at will. Long live the Eurozone!
Yesterday, we ventured to our borough’s town hall for our official ceremony, overseen by a very boisterous female mayor with bright technicolour red hair who seemed more suited to pop up from the pages of a Disney book than within the chambers of the Camden council; she was refreshingly informal. For this we were thankful as we had W in tow and though it was a formal occasion, he just couldn’t resist making a few interjections. And would any such occasion be complete without a toddler interjecting ‘tractor’, ‘moo’, ‘mommy’, ‘daddy’ and other such non-sensical additions? Thankfully W was easily distracted by raisins and taking photos, and in good company as it was a family event and there were ~10 children of various ages amongst the ~100 attendees.
We took the day off to make it a proper family celebration day in honour of the milestone and attended the ceremony, reception and then allowed ourselves a few British indulgences to mark the day. G, W & I drank champagne (and non-alcoholic raspberry fizz) at the world’s longest champagne bar (located across the street from town hall in St Pancras Station), ate fish and chips and mushy peas, and went for a relaxed pot of afternoon tea with Victoria Sponge. And, in fitting with the milestone, after months of searching and beginning to lose hope, we may have FINALLY found a couple suitable new boroughs of London to call home. It was a very good day.
So, now the question turns to ‘what next’? So far, we’ve gotten married, bought a house (sold it), moved abroad, earned masters degrees, traveled about the world (though there’s still much more to see), started a family, and rediscovered the pleasures of personal fitness. What now? Buy a house (again) and plant the garden? Not sure…we’re certainly open to ideas, without something new in the works we’re (a hmmm…K is) certain to get bored…quickly.
And, finally, what’s with the ridiculous ‘momentos’? As UK citizens, I can’t help but think we would be better served for our life here by a healthy dollop of English wit and charm rather than the useless paper weight we received. [Oh, dear, with that bit of moaning done, we must well and truly be British :)]