Since November of '99 I've been gone for a total of 18 month - six months at a time. So, I suppose, no, I haven't been here for five straight years - though this May marked three years of not leaving the farm for more than a couple hours, let alone the state or country.
It was an immigration lawyer (an amazingly understanding man who did a three and a half hour consultation with me and only charged for the first hour) who pointed me towards the DREAM Act - though I realise I might be having some issues even falling into *that* category.
*frowns*
No one seems to know where to place me.