From Visa Prayers to Citizenship Celebrations: Why This Day Means Everything

The day we've been praying, waiting and working for the past 7 years has finally arrived!
I didn’t expect the tears to hit me like they did but sitting in that room, watching my husband become a U.S. citizen, everything came flooding back. Five years of paperwork, prayers, setbacks, and small victories. Five years of building a life around love, uncertainty, and grit. And now, here we are. He’s IN! A new AMERICAN citizen is among us!

This moment feels even bigger than I imagined, not just for Igor, but for all of us.. for our family, for the dreamers in our corner, and for this community known as the Soul Fed Family that’s cheered us on every step of the way.

Soul Fed Home was never just a business. It was born from a place of desperation and devotion. In 2020, when COVID stripped us of our jobs and our sense of stability, we clung to each other and started to build something — anything — to give us a way forward. What began as a means to support Igor’s visa application turned into a purpose-filled mission: to bring beauty, history, and heart back into homes, one antique and charming little interior at a time. Along the way, we found something even more meaningful... a community of kindred spirits who feel like home, especially through a season when we weren’t sure we’d ever have one of our own.

We did it scared. We did it exhausted. We did it without a roadmap. Just the two of us, figuring it out as we went... business owners, marketers, strategists, logistics coordinators, shippers, international importers... and yes, visa experts. We held our breath, just hoping we could stay together in the same country. But somewhere along the way, it became about more than survival. We started building something lasting - a legacy rooted in love, hard work, and purpose… something we hope to pass down through our family for generations to come.

But here’s the thing: we were never really alone in this. Every order, every message, every Instagram comment from you all reminded us we had people rooting for us. Soul Fed became more than a job... it became a family. You gave us the space to grow, to learn, and to share our story in the process. You made it possible to dream beyond survival.

And if there’s anything I’ve learned lately, (especially after being hacked) it’s that anything and everything can be taken away in seconds. Whether it’s a hacker stealing your business overnight, or new tariffs threatening the antique hauls we work so hard for, we’ve come face to face with the reality that nothing material is guaranteed. What matters is what remains when all of that is stripped away. And for us, that’s YOU.

You all.. this community... being here, showing up, cheering us on, sharing in our highs and holding us through the lows… that’s the legacy we’re most proud of. It means more than any antique, sourcing trip or sale. You are our everything, and the gratitude we feel for you truly can’t be put into words.

Today, as we start to imagine a future where Igor’s son can visit freely, where his mother might finally see the life we’ve built... we’re overcome with a kind of gratitude that settles deep in our bones. We’re standing here because of grace, and because of you.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for walking beside us. For letting our little antique business mean more than just furniture. For reminding us that the best stories are the ones we get to live through together.

With full hearts, happy tears and a whole lot of 'MERICA chanting,

Sydney + Igor

Soul Fed Home


June, 5th, 2025
A day we will never forget!