Sharna Burgess just took a major step.
The Dancing With the Stars pro, who was born in Australia, became a citizen of the United States on Oct. 6 and shared moments from her big day on Instagram—including a video of herself taking the oath of allegiance.
“Today something really amazing happened :),” Sharna captioned the clip, which had Whitney Houston‘s performance of the national anthem from Super Bowl XXV in 1991 playing in the background. “I had no idea that this would feel emotional for me.”
As the dancer noted, the U.S. has already been her home for the past 12 years, sharing that it’s not only where her career has grown but also where she met boyfriend Brian Austin Green and welcomed their son Zane Walker Green, 3 months.
“Yet this last step of becoming a citizen and finally having the same rights as all Americans felt so important,” she continued. “Maybe it’s because I’ve lived outside of Australia since I was 18, so much of that was out of a suitcase and from one country to another. At one point my belongings were just in garbage bags since it was easier to move. I’ve never even had to vote anywhere before. I think I always felt a bit like a Gypsy searching for belonging. Afraid of staying in one place and also craving the security of it.”