BrEXIT, Do Your Worst!

My heart brought me to Germany over thirty years ago. I had never had any interest in visiting this country, let alone settling here permanently but, several years and three sons later, I accepted that fate had other plans for me.  I have grown to love it here and to regard it as my home. Thanks to Brexit, I can no longer take this for granted. Today having finally got around to going to the immigration office to find out about applying for dual citizenship, I discovered that my procrastination had got the better of me.

In order to acquire permission to reside here, I have to take a German language test and the German citizenship test by the end of this month (October). The next available date for the language test is at the end of November, so I will have no choice but to give up being a Brit and become German.

Among other things, I have to prove that I am able to support myself financially. The two tests shouldn’t be a problem, but as for the latter - not so easy. Being self-employed, I can rarely predict how much I will be earning a month from now, never mind in terms of years!

I joked this morning with the boss of the organization which employed me to teach refugees in 2015/16, saying that I may well show up one day, applying for one of my own integration courses!

I’ll probably be better off. I’m not sure I want to be tied to a homeland which is becoming increasingly alien to me as the years speed by. I will always be a Brit at heart, but I see myself as European and Europe is where I want to belong.

I have often envied people who stayed in their home town/country, enjoying the security and solid basis of family and friends. My family (apart from my sons) and friends are scattered around the world, only a phone/Skype-call, WhatsApp or Messenger chat away, but it’s not the same as being able to sit down with them for a nice cup of tea or coffee.

St. Wendel has been my home for ten years now - the longest I have ever stayed in one place, or even one house (or apartment). On realising that this new-found ‘security’ might be threatened, I initially felt panic rising, but then a delicious thought arose in my mind. I could seriously consider fulfilling my dream of exchanging my house for a modest camper van and spending the rest of my days visiting my family and friends in England (if I am allowed entry!), France, the Czech Republic and the United States and Canada. I would also like to visit countries where I don’t have any friends - yet.

BrEXIT, do what you will! I am gearing up to EXIT, stage left or right, should the need arise. Who needs British, German or any other citizenship as a passport to Life? I was born under a wand’rin star and I’m curious to see where it might lead me next. In the meantime, I’ll start mixing some colours in readiness to paint my wagon.