Not long after I met my partner he bought a house. We had an investment plan for it to build two townhouse units on the property. We were excited and planned to do it together. But first we needed to apply for a loan from the bank. But because I’m on a Bridging visa and not a citizen, there were limited options in terms of which bank would meet with us—only one or two. This was really challenging. I earn a good salary and have proof of my income. But because I’m not a citizen, this was so challenging. We didn’t give up, and eventually we secured the loan but it wasn’t easy. We will marry in a few months. My partner is Palestinian Australia— he is a citizen here. He came here with his family when he was little. I’m so happy but also sad, knowing my family won’t be able to be here for it. The wedding planning is challenging. Sometimes I feel excited and then at other times I think—“what am I doing? How can I get married now?” I got to the point a couple of months ago where 82 Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness | Understanding Statelessness in Australia I wanted to cancel the wedding. Two of my sisters are married and both got marred in the same way I will be forced to—without family there. My mum and brother were unable to leave Gaza to travel for the weddings. So I feel like I’m following in this family trend. My sense of being ‘Palestinian’ has become stronger since I came to Australia. Being Palestinian is my identity, it’s my culture. Australians offer a nice community, people are friendly, but I don’t want to lose my identity. Being Palestinian represents something bigger than just a nation. (August 2024)