He could remember the first time he saw that statue. It was one of those things you simply never forgot, like a first kiss. He remembered the first time he saw that statue, smiling majestically down at him from its pedestal, Lady Liberty welcoming him to the country, letting his heart swell up with a strange, newfound pride. He supposed it was the moment he'd become American, even before the papers had been stamped and Ellis Island had given him and his father the okay. It was certainly the first moment he'd felt American.

He'd gripped the banister of the boat, leaning forward, nearly to the point of falling over, eyes widening. The grin on his face was huge, spreading nearly ear to ear, and even the countless other people, all scrambling against the side of the boat, shoving him a bit, wasn't enough to ruin it. He'd made it to America, and this was the proof. There was no going back now, he'd supposed, nothing left to do now but move forward and spread his name in this new land. Which was, of course, just what he intended to do.

He couldn't be sure what America held for him, but it was sure going to be an interesting adventure.