Ready to Go (mentally)

That's me and kids back in March, when we went to DC for the oral assessment back.  At the time, Alex seemed very excited at the possibility of returning for an extended time.  When we first arrived in Northern Virginia, he wanted to go into DC every weekend.  About the second or third trip in, he started complaining about the "tourists" in the Metro.  Now he says he's seen it all. I can (sort of) relate. The training is good, but  I'm ready to get to post.

That's mentally ready - logistically there's still a ton to do  - arrange the packout, figure out all the documentation required to ship the car, etc.  On the plus side, our visas arrived. One thing off the list.

Warm up

Made a visit to Chinatown in Washington.  A couple more months until the real thing.

-posted from a mobile device

The Toilets...Ya'll...Eeeek!

Okay, so this entire blog post is extremely crude and not very polite or discreet.  But, it is hard to think about moving to China without confronting one of my hugest fears.  Yes, my friends, Chinese toilets.  This is a true story -- China apparently gets so much feedback about their poor toilet facilities from Western tourists that they have instituted a star rating system for the toilets inside of Beijing.  There are now some 3 or 4 star facilities located at major tourist hotspots.  What does it mean to use a 4-star toilet?  As far as I can tell, it means that they have an actual toilet that you sit on.  Sometimes there is even toilet paper there and a place to wash hands.  So, that might beg the question as to what the rest of the toilets in China look like?  Well, you squat over a sort of trench.  The pic shows a sort of best case scenario for this type of toilet, in that it looks very clean and there is some type of privacy divider.  This model doesn't actually look too bad once you master the squatting position.  While wrapped in layers of clothing since it is like 20 degrees in Beijing in the winter.  Oh, and this toilet is empty and not filled to the gills with people like an actual toilet will be since Beijing has like 19 million people.

An actual conversation with Chris when out and about on the Washington mall today went like this.

Me:  Um, let's stop at the castle so I can use the toilet before we get on the metro.  Chris:  Really?  Again?  Didn't you just go at the art museum?  Me:  Yes, but I drank a bunch of iced tea.  Chris:  Um, okay.  You know, it is probably good if you restrict your liquid intake while out and about in China. He then proceeded to make up this really great chant that went "I've Peed in London, I've Peed in France, but I'll pee in my pants before I pee here."  He wants to note that he attributes that to the Boy Scouts. It is not an original saying.

Well, that might be workable if I just don't drink anything at all.  Not sure how reasonable that is on a long-term basis. We have all kinds of grandiose dreams of taking the minivan out and about and seeing lots of China. Gotta get to Mongolia somehow. In other words, I will have to avail myself of Chinese toilet facilities.  A lot.  Well, since I am very capable of making a mountain out of a mole hill, I turned to my trusty, sweet calm friend who just returned from a tour in Beijing with her two young girls.  My friend A is always positive, always calm, always sweet and upbeat about everything Chinese.  She is calm about the poor air quality, calm about the lack of free access to the internet, calm about the crazy traffic, calm about the cold weather.  She will surely have something positive and uplifting to say about Chinese toilet facilities, right? She actually looked a bit horrified when I mentioned the toilets and finally said that they were unfortunate, but that if we had to go badly enough it won't matter so much. Then mentioned that sometimes her kids chose to just go outside the bathroom instead of using the ones provided in China. Hardly the reassurance I was looking for. 

Anyways, I'm now somewhat resigned to my fate. I mean, we are moving to Beijing -- yay!  The toilets are a minor blip on the radar.  That said, I am once again, quite envious of the male members of my family. I mean, how much easier is that???!

Neglectful

I haven't blogged in eons.  Sorry ya'll!  I'm just busy around here, you know, applying for schools in China, trying to figure out if my car can be shipped to China, trying to figure out where we want to live, how to do diplomatic passports and visas, yadda yadda!  We have also been lucky enough to have visits from my family and Chris' family.  The end of January sounded rather far away when we first found out our posting, but when you start to think about the dazzling amount of stuff that should be done before we leave the country it becomes clear that time is short.  My kids have to actually apply and be accepted to the school in Beijing.  This involves a slew of teacher recommendations and years of school paperwork and other types of documentation.  I'm also finding us a dentist, pediatrician and all of the other good stuff that we need.  I'd like to start our journey to China with clean teeth and good health.

We are continuing to explore the DC area as much as humanly possible.  We head downtown frequently to see the Smithsonian museums, the monuments, the National Gallery of Art.  Oh, and the Madame Tussaud's wax museum because we are classy like that. Falls Church abounds with lots of fabulous restaurants. Now we've all eaten dim sum, Ethiopian food, pizza, Lebanese food, Vietnamese food, sushi and other good stuff.  My kids all like Chinese food, which is definitely a step in the right direction since we will be eating plenty of it soon.  Outside of the area, we've gone to Mount Vernon, an apple orchard to pick apples and to the Gettysburg battlefield.  The beautiful fall weather and amazing foliage definitely adds to the experience.  We all feel lucky to live here for several months before heading out.

I think we all feel a mixture of terror and anxiety and excitement when contemplating our upcoming journey to China.  We checked out about 15 books on China so we can learn more about its culture and history.  The Great Wall is on all of our to-do lists.  The kids want to venture to Hong Kong and Shanghai. I really really want to take the Trans-Siberian railway from Beijing to Ulaanbataar.  If you remember, I have a bit of an obsession with visiting Mongolia.  It is a 30-hour journey, but honestly, who on earth can say they have done that?  I mean, it has sleeping cars.  The kids will sleep for at least 15 hours or so (ha).  And it has dining cars that change from Chinese to Mongolian.  They can spend time eating also.  And playing, um, card games and looking at the scenery....It will be great!

It definitely isn't all fun and games though. The logistics of getting there are daunting.  Moving the diplocats about involves tons of red tape and money, moving the car (which is apparently a smidgeon too big for the state department's current regulations) is also time-consuming and expensive.  We also have to get about a zillion passports and visas that involve 500 small photos and pages of paperwork.  Oh, and we need to deal with moving companies (yet again) to pack up our temporary stuff here and to decide which boxes of stuff in storage we want to take to China.  I'm confident all will work out, but believe me, 3 months doesn't seem nearly long enough most days:)  Tomorrow we are trying to get the diplomat passports. Wish us luck.  It should be quite a day!

Chinese Chair Skating

So, I've been asked by several folks about the weather in Beijing. It apparently gets quite, quite cold in the winter. Mostly a very dry cold (very little snow) punctuated by wind that blows in from the Mongolian steppes.  Sometimes I can't believe I'm typing these sentences.  I've been told to bring serious coats and winter clothes for all of us. Lakes and rivers often freeze for long periods of time. Instead of strapping on bulky ice skates and attempting to glide along these frozen ponds, the Chinese sit on a wooden pallet chair and propel themselves along with ski poles.  Very clever and perfect for those of us who never truly learned to ice skate (um, most of my Texas brood).  Now when planning a trip, I've heard that September and October are the loveliest months to visit Beijing.  You can rest assured, however, that if you do end up here in the winter, we can find lots of stuff to entertain you.  If you don't mind the winds off the Mongolian steppes....

Ni hao!

Yep, those are the only words of Chinese I know.  This is important because our next posting is in.....

Beijing!!!

We are thrilled by our posting. Lots of options for schools, lots of orthodontist choices for the kids, good work prospects for me.  It is also supposed to be a busy and interesting work environment for Chris.  Plus, it is a part of the world that we probably would not have visited on our own dime.  It is pretty cool that we get to live there for a couple of years.  I never thought I would actually get to see the Great Wall of China or Tiananmen Square or the Forbidden Palace. We are definitely up for visitors so please come!  We should even have a guest bedroom for you so that you don't have to sleep on a sofa.  We are supposed to leave towards the end of January/beginning of February so we have some time to start to prepare for life there.  I think it is a good idea to try to learn some basic Chinese, and we have to start getting children enrolled in schools, yadda yadda.  All of the stuff you have to do even if you are running away to China.   

The List

Well, we've turned it in now so it is all over but the shouting around here.  The list, of course, refers to the places that our family might move to in 4-7 months.  And, my friends, I will tell you that when they say "worldwide available", they mean it.  Over half of our list was in Africa -- places like Burundi, Djibouti and Niger.  Rounding out the list were some fairly obscure places in Eastern Europe, like Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.  A couple of danger posts topped off the fun -- Saudi Arabia and Tel Aviv.  While wild and truly adventurous, our list definitely had some gems on it.  Our top picks, in case you are interested, are Kiev, Ukraine; Beijing, China and Lusaka, Zambia.  There is no guarantee that we will get these places and the powers that be can certainly go further down our wish list, but those are the places that we feel would best suit our family's needs. For our family, the needs revolve mostly around the children and the fact they have to go to school.  Shocker, but Burundi and Djibouti do not have English-speaking schools, which knocked them pretty far down our bid list. Moldova doesn't have English schools either and I was sad to have to push it down on our list.  It actually sounds like one of the loveliest little places you've never heard of.

Now, the amazing thing about the foreign service is that families can and do live in places that aren't their top picks. Families will almost certainly encounter a posting or two along their path that they didn't find desirable.  I meet people on the playground every day headed off to Kazakhstan or Bangladesh.  Sometimes these places grow on people, sometimes people endure the places but find solace in a tight embassy community.  Most places have at least something that folks remember fondly when they move on to another locale. Given the news right now involving our diplomats abroad, I'm sure you can appreciate how difficult many of our posts can be.  U.S. diplomats serve in places that aren't terribly safe as well as places missing much of the infrastructure most Americans take for granted.  I can't tell you how brave and admirable I find many of Chris' colleagues as they prepare to head out to Egypt or Yemen or Pakistan or Iraq.  I'm equally in awe of all of the capable spouses I've met who've managed their families while their husband is on an unaccompanied tour or ones who feed and care for their families in places where they don't speak the language.  I mean, I'm fairly certain grocery shopping is its own unique experience in Cameroon or Suriname.

Anyways, in a week we will know where in the world we are headed.  Hopefully we end up somewhere in our top tier of picks, but I've been told by people experienced at this stuff that the important thing is knowing.  Knowing will enable us to start to plan and prepare and to visualize our lives in this new place.  For now, I'm passing the time shopping at Trader Joe's and Target. Stores that I will certainly miss when we head overseas. Oh, the kids picks if you are interested:  The boys both want to go to Beijing because the housing looks cool while Violet really wants Africa so we can see the animals.    

Truths About Virginia

Okay, so far there are definitely some goods, bads and uglies to life in Northern Virginia.  While similar to Texas, it is definitely NOT Texas.

Truth 1:  All of my kids are having just fantastic, incredible experiences at the local schools here.  Everyone, from the teachers to the administrators, are helpful and supportive.  The kindergarten is a warm, loving environment.  The middle school is safe and challenging, yet still very supportive and understanding of how young 5th graders are.  And the high-schooler is surrounded by people who care.  He is in a homeroom class with only 7 kids staffed by a teacher who brings them food and monitors their grades to ensure everything is as it ought to be. 

Truth 2:  The traffic around here is truly awful.  In Texas, you can generally be fairly certain that a location 5 miles away should take 5-7 minutes to get to.  Here, distances 5 miles away can take 15 minutes or they can take double that.  That occurs regardless of the time of day. Of course, it is worse at rush hour but going certain places can be brutal on Saturday morning as well. 

Truth 3:  Probably due to the traffic, the populace here is incredibly fit and healthy.  There are bikers, runners and walkers everywhere.  A really nifty system of trails connects almost everything and people definitely don't gawk at pedestrians like they might in many Texas locales.  You really can manage without a car here if you need to, which is great for we FS types who may or may not have a car at any given moment.

Truth 4:  Places are crowded!  Everywhere and what seems like all of the time.  There are several Chipotles here (yay) and they are always packed.  Ditto the supermarkets, the Target and the Costcos. 

Truth 5:  The weather is awesome so far.  Like perfect springtime temps in the 70's and plenty of sunshine. I know this isn't the case always, but I am loving it!  Such a welcome escape from Texas at this time of year. 

Sacrifices

Olly here (who is probably teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown) wanted me to take this firm photographic proof of the sacrifices he is making based on "the needs of the service.". He is sporting rainbow soft claws in these pics. These nifty nail covers are supposed to keep him from scratching up the rented furniture and carpet. Nice huh? Lola has pink glitter but doesn't look quite as humiliated by it all. Fingers crossed this works and his sacrifice isn't in vain.

We're Here! Home Sweet Oakwood.

Well, we've been here a week but things have just normalized enough for me to update our blog with our latest happenings.  We hit the ground last Sunday.  Yes, all 5 of us survived a 3 day road trip with 2 cats in tow.  The diplocats (I just like to say that) were amazing collected considering they spent long days in small carriers and nights in random places.  Plus, when we arrived in Oakwood, we found out that we were getting a 3 bedroom apartment instead of the 2 bedroom one they had committed to.  Happy dance!  The layout is a bit unusual, in that they make a larger unit by combining a 2 bedroom with a studio apartment.  So Violet gets her own pad with a giant bed, sofa and chair, TV, bathroom and full kitchen.  The extra kitchen is a bit strange in my 5 year old's room, but really handy for storage and such.

We rested up on Monday and ventured down to the pool a bit.  This place is just loaded with kids so Violet immediately made some new pals, many started kindergarten with her the next day.  The boys are shyer and more hesitant. Plus, there are just fewer kids that age lounging about the complex. I think they all hide out in their apartments.  This is definitely a new dynamic that I hadn't thought through completely.  It is so much easier when they are playground age for them to make new friends.  The good thing is that the bus is sort of a forced captivity with kids who live near you so they are chatting with other kids there.

 On to Monday, all 3 of them got up and at'em.  We got them registered in their new schools and they were up and running and able to participate by the first day.  I was extremely relieved to realize that while 5th grade is in the middle school building here, it is not the same as middle school.  The kids stay with a homeroom/content mastery teacher who teaches all subjects except for the specials like art, band, home economics (love that they take that), Spanish, French and drama.  Now, 8th grade is high school here and they mean it.  Alex is in the high school building with tons of hairy people who can drive.  That said, he seems to be having a pretty great time of it.  He has met some foreign service friends who also ride the bus back to Oakwood.  One just returned from Paris so he definitely has delusions that we will be going there (HA!).  Violet attends school with a mind-boggling amount of FS kids, many of whom are in our building.  She also seems to be adjusting well, but it is a big adjustment.  She is completely exhausted when she gets home!

A week into it, I can't say it is par for the course, but I am amazed at how adaptable everyone is.  Now, our home still feels like a hotel and the whole experience feels more like a vacation that my real life.  But I suppose that is fairly normal when you land in a new place like this.  We have found the Costco and the grocery stores, a Target and good running trails.  We are taking Alex to an orthodontist next week.

Today, Chris boarded the bus and headed off for his first day at the new job.  Tomorrow is the big day when we receive the long-awaited bid list.  We also receive our air shipment (UAB in FS speak) so we should have more clothes and some things that make life a bit more comfortable. I totally miss my spices and am thrilled that they will be arriving along with my blender and crockpot.  Cooking without any spices is definitely an interesting endeavor.

I'll leave you with some pictures so you can visualize where we are and what we are up to:

Boys room

View of Oakwood from our window

Oliver while travelling

Violet's bedroom

It's For Real

We have hit the road. We are very excited but a little sad, too.  Our 9 years living in this house were terrific.  Really, you should buy it. Here is Erin locking the door for the last time.

Journeys

As I sit here pondering life two days before we leave, I am visualizing all of the different journeys that we face throughout our lives. Our family's current journey is one that can be tracked on a map and measured geographically. Other life-changing journeys might lack the geography, but are no less significant in the grand scheme of things. I have friends facing journeys into new motherhood, ones figuring out what their future holds once the kids grow older, some face retirement journeys. My kids are all starting new phases in school : beginning kindergarten, middle school and high school.  It is scary to start a new journey, but always rewarding. I hold onto that thought as we say goodby to so many people that we love. It is also stunning to me how places can hold so many memories.  My daughter was born in our yellow house and our boys were 3 and 5 when we moved there. All of them hit so many milestones in that house and it is just full of memories.  It was crazy to see it completely empty and with bare walls. Now we are just crossing our fingers that a new family wants to move in and make new memories there.

On a happier note, technology has made our world so much more interconnected than it ever was. I love that I can follow so many of my friends through email, text, phone conversations, blogs and Facebook.  When Chris and I were doing the long-distance dating thing many moons ago, we racked up around $400/month in phone bills.  That was definitely the pre-Internet, pre-Skype era. Of course, it isn't the same as face-to-face communication, but I do think it will help all of us.

Oh, and how exciting is it that Chris is probably about 2 weeks out from holding our bid list!  The list of places where we will possibly spend the next 2 years of our lives. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a picture of our yellow house. Drop me a line if you know anybody who wants a cute family home in Winnetka Heights!

Why Join the Foreign Service Part 2

I was perhaps a little flippant in this post about why join the Foreign Service.  In all seriousness, there is a sense of purpose. I spent a few years representing America abroad in my small way, as a musician in the US Navy Sixth Fleet Band.  That experience led me to the conclusion that the world is a better place where Americans are positively engaged.  I've had a rewarding career in the private sector, but it does lack a sense of service.  I'm really excited about the opportunity to once again have a small role in promoting America.

That, and getting some really cool FourSquare check ins.  Assuming we have service, of course.

Timeline

It's common on these 'Joining the Foreign Service' blogs to share your timeline.  I think it's encouraging to those going through the process.  Here's mine, roughly:

July 2011 - applied
Dec 2011 - invited to interview/exam
March 2012 - oral exam in DC
June 2012 - on the registry
July 24 - Offer received
Sept 10 - First day

Just over a year from application to offer - I think that's pretty fast.

I also applied back in 2002 and went through all the clearances, was placed on the registry, but wasn't hired after 18 months so I dropped off.  I've lived in the same area and worked for the same company since then, which I suspect sped up the clearance process this time.

Favorite Reactions to the News

This week I started telling co-workers that I'm leaving.  That's usually followed by an explanation of what the Foreign Service is.  I say something like "I'm joining the Foreign Service. I will be working  for the State Department, working in embassies and consulates"

Reactions vary a lot.  Some of my favorites (paraphrased, obviously):

Co-worker:  Do you need to relocate?
Me: Yes.  Virginia for a few months, then an embassy or consulate somewhere, according to the needs of the service.
Co-worker: Cool, maybe it will be someplace exotic, like Hawaii

Co-worker:  Aren't you a little old for that sort of thing?*
Me: Yeah, it's a mid-life crisis.

Co-worker: So desperate to get away from Dallas that you need to leave the country?
Me:  No, wouldn't say that.  I've had a good run here. I'll likely have to deal with things like TB or Malaria. I'm probably increasing my risk.
Co-worker:  They have shots for TB and Malaria.  There's no vaccine for this place

*I'm 44

Note to grammar enthusiasts:  If this blog were widely read, this post would likely generate comments criticizing the use of the hyphen in co-worker, followed by more comments defending the hyphen.  I did careful research ( spent a minute googling it) and there is no consensus.  AP guidelines say use the hyphen, Chicago Manual of Style does not use the hyphen.

16 days left....

Things I Don't Know

1.  Whether the movers will actually come next week since we don't have actual travel orders and they cannot pack out our stuff without these orders.
2.  The name of the human resources person/travel coordinator in charge of getting these super important travel orders together.
3.  What amount of per diem is authorized for our drive to DC.  How many miles we are supposed to go each day, what we are authorized to spend on a hotel, meals, etc.  It is pretty hard to plan out a route and book hotels without this information.  Yet nobody seems to know this or be able to point us in the right direction.  Maybe our mystical travel coordinator knows this?
4.  How long we will actually be in the DC area.
5.  What exactly I'm supposed to be putting in the various piles I'm supposed to be constructing out of our household effects.
6. How long our family of 5 will have to live in a 2-bedroom corporate apartment before getting transferred to a 3 bedroom (please, please, please). 
7.  What day we are actually leaving on since that really depends on the per diem situation.
8. My actual address and new phone number at this corporate apartment.

There is far, far more but I'm sorting things into immediate vs. long-term concerns.  You know, long-term being things like where we are actually going after our stint in DC.  It is way fun explaining to my daughter that her toys are going with us, but she won't see them until we reach our permanent home after our temporary home. The permanent house in an as-yet unknown country.

Ultimately, this is the life though. I think we all know this going in so I'm really not whining.  As chaotic as it is, it is an adventure for all of us right now.  Everyone is doing their best to take it all in stride.  I think waiting on the bid list will be like Christmas. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep the night before Flag Day!

In which I know that I should be insanely busy, but am not entirely certain what I should be doing

That pretty much sums things up here with 19 days left in Dallas.  We have met with the movers who assure us everything we now own will be well under the weight granted to us by the government.  They have also told us that we are NOT to pack anything or put things into boxes.  They need to be the ones to do all of the wrapping of items and packing.  So we continue to sort and discard some, but that is pretty tricky when you don't know where on this planet you are going.  We have also shed many of the things that have marked our middle-class life -- the second car, insurance on the car, the house is on the market. It is nerve-wracking to get rid of these things and these routines that have been a hallmark of our life for years.  Giving up the kids spot in school was definitely the biggest bridge that we burned.  Once we did that, I knew we were actually going through with this.  Many aspects of this shedding and sorting are down-right freeing. I have to say that if I never have to enter a Home Depot again, I will be a happy woman. Of course, I might change my tune in a few years. Right now, I find the thought of not owning all of this stuff liberating.

There are also hard parts as reality really sets in. More tears from all of us lately. I cry every time I think about dealing with my daughter's playhouse.  We created a little wonderland in our backyard for the kids.  My dad and Chris built her little house themselves and we gave it to her when she turned 2. I KNOW realistically that we can't bring it with us. I know this -- it is heavy, unwieldy and unlikely to survive being transplanted. It doesn't fit in with our new nomadic lifestyle. But my dad and Chris built it.  I will miss my parents and I know they will miss me, Chris and the kids.  The playhouse is a tangible reminder of their love and support. All of us will carry that love and support with us wherever we go -- I know that.  But sometimes letting go can be hard.  There is lots of that going on right now though. One baby is starting kindergarten, one middle school and one high school.  I'm thrilled that they are growing bigger and more capable of experiencing life, but this is definitely accompanied by sadness at how fast they grow.  How hard it is to let them go more and more into the world. I'd bet parents feel that whether their kids are 5 or 50. 

Why Join the Foreign Service

There's lots of reasons to join the Foreign Service.  Here's one of mine:  I think it's a midlife crisis.  I'm not really into cars, so this works.

Starting To Sink In

As we start this transition, little things make it especially real.

Unsubscribing from various email lists like the kids school, meetups, etc.  Unsubscribing from the Kessler Theater email was really bittersweet.  Great place to hear music, and my daughter's dance lessons were there.

Went out for Tex Mex and knowing it's likely we'll live someplace where it is impossible to find good enchiladas.  But I'll try to stay positive.

Deep, deep denial

So, we have a bit over 4 weeks left to dismantle our entire existence and move our family cross-country -- and then overseas.  I have a staggering amount of stuff to do. I've been in this house for 8.5 years and in this city for most of my life.  Instead of inventorying my belongings, gathering doctor records and photocopying stuff (owning lots of paper appears to be essential for foreign service personnel), I am wandering about drinking coffee and blogging.  Honestly, both Mr. Nomad and I are preternaturally calm.  I think the reality is slow to dawn.  We have wanted this job -- and this life for our family -- for years.  It is stunning to realize that it is actually happening. Unfortunately, there isn't a ton of time to process this. In some ways this is good. Leaving so quickly is almost like ripping of a bandaid. Neither the kids or the adults have too much time to dwell on what it feels like and what it means to leave everything we've known for a very vague and unknown future.

Anyways, finding the right title for my blog seemed paramount to me and there were lots of rejections and false tries.  I think I'm there though. I first heard this Cat Stevens song when I went on a Maryknoll mission trip after high school. I spent most of that summer in Oaxaca, Mexico among Catholic nuns and former Peace Corps folks doing mission work. It was eye-opening to be in that setting and to be among people living -- and raising families -- somewhere other than the USA. 

I'll leave you with some of the things that make our imminent move seem real.  Yesterday I went grocery shopping since our cupboards were literally bare.  Most of the dairy products in the store expire AFTER we leave.  That means we are leaving soon, my friends. I also had to fight my tendencies to stock up on literally everything I buy because my kids eat things like locusts.  The second time I had to face reality was when trying to enroll the kids to start school in Virginia.  The automated enrollment form asked for two local emergency contacts. It actually wouldn't let me move on to the next registration page until I provided this information, I, of course, know nobody at all in Virginia.  I called Mr. Nomad who was also flummoxed. He suggested putting the main state number down (ring, ring, why yes Ms. Clinton there are some kids here who need a ride home from school). Ha.  A dear friend here (who is a former VA resident and still owns a home there) came to the rescue and provided me with a list of contact names and  numbers.  So, it is indeed, a wild world, but a smile and friends help a lot.

Terror and Excitement

So, you know the old adage about being careful what you wish for? We are living it this week.  Mr. Nomad and I have wanted to join the foreign service for literally forever.  We even gave it the old college try about a decade ago.  He passed his IMS orals in DC, our family then passed our security and medical clearances -- only to sadly fall off the list due to hiring issues. We decided to try again this last year.  I will admit that I was rather blase about the entire thing. Once burned twice shy and all of that.  This time was different though. The list was shorter and our prospects seemed better.  That said, I think we were both deeply in denial that this whole crazy foreign service thing might actually happen. Then last week (while relaxing on the beach), Mr. Nomad got the email confirming his spot in the September orientation and training class.  Eeeek!  I will say that the experience was very similar to each time I took a pregnancy test.  While thrilling and hotly anticipated, confirmation of something so life changing was also accompanied by shock and terror.

We arrived back from a relaxing week at the beach last night and I came to the stark and abrupt realization that I have to say goodbye to everyone I love, pack up my entire life, sell my house, sell a car or two, sell my beautiful new washer and dryer (they are red and beyond beautiful), register my kids in a new school and move across country in less than a month.  We will stay in DC/Virginia for a bit, then repeat this entire process in early February.  Oh, except then we'll be moving to one of the 285 U.S. diplomatic facilities scattered throughout the world.  Did I mention that we are kick-starting our adventure with a cross-country road trip with 3 kids and 2 cats?  We arrive the day before labor day and then my kids will start school in on September 4.  Adaptability and flexibility are hallmarks of success in the foreign service. I think you also have to be persistent and incredibly patient with the layers of government bureaucracy intrinsic to an organization this huge and complex.