Australians blew into Seattle, and Kimberly's life changed
One of Australia's newest citizens include a Seattle actress who joyfully remembers the moments that let her become a teacher of Australian history and drama at a Melbourne boys' high school.
Kimberly Anderson was born in 1963 at Spokane in Washington State in the US Pacific North West, where they have a white Christmas every year.
Kimberly says she grew up in a liberal household where she was encouraged to follow her dreams, and she dreamed of being an actress.
She was living that dream by 1989, as Mary Magdalene in the Seattle production of Godspell.
'Then a group of Australians blew into my world and we laughed till we cried,' Kimberly says.
She admired 'their spirit, their individuality and their world view'.
A few months later, she found herself admiring an Australian named Anthony Griffiths.
They spent seven months together in the states, and then seven months apart, before Kimberly stepped off a plane in Melbourne.
'I had two suitcases, with a wedding dress in one of them,' she says.
'It was a bit scary - I felt like a war bride.'
The couple moved to Seattle after the wedding. Their son, Jack Alexander, was born there in 1994.
'We had the whole American dream,' Kimberly says.
'But one day we looked at each other, and we couldn't remember the last time we had laughed till we cried.
'We packed everything up, and went backpacking with Jack.'
They landed in Melbourne in time for Christmas 1998.
'The American grandparents were howling,' Kimberly admits, 'but now they've been here several times.'
Kimberly says she comes from a long line of educators – her mother and grandfather were teachers, and her great grandfather founded a university.
She says there is a kind of 'actor-audience relationship' in class, but teachers don't have to move cities as frequently as actors.
'When you have a child, you don't want to be a gypsy anymore.'
She did a Diploma of Education at Melbourne University, graduating in 1999 as an Australian history and drama teacher.
But the Year 9 boys at St Bede's College in Mentone did ask why an American was taking them through the Australian history of Federation, world wars and immigration.
Kimberly remembers that she had a 'most remarkable' group in 2003 when an excursion led them to the Melbourne Immigration Museum.
She stood for a moment alone, dreaming of the stories around her.
And when she asked the boys to write about what it means to be Australian, she knew their words would change her life.
They wrote of the 'power, belief and culture' in a 'strong nation which thrives on confidence and opportunity'.
They said the 20th century had 'unleashed a certain pride, spirit and determination that can not be rivalled'.
'Australia is the land of hope and where every Australian citizen is proud to call their land home,' concluded an essay by Brendan Mason.
'I've been back to the United States twice,' Kimberly says.
'And the last time I was there at Christmas last year, all I wanted was to be back home.
'And I realised home was Australia.
'Australia is my country, and I want to have a voice in the way my country is run.'
Many of the young men who were boys in the Year 9 class of 2003 returned to the Melbourne Immigration Museum to witness their teacher become an Australian citizen at a ceremony held on Australian Citizenship Day, 17 September 2006.