Christmastime is here

A year ago...

I was preparing for my husband to come home to Denver for a three-day break from training in Oklahoma City. It was the only time he was flying home during the three months so we were praying for good weather. 

I was living in my parents basement so there was no planning when it came to spending time with the family over the holidays. My parents and I were heading to Ohio in two weeks to look for a house in the Mansfield/Ashland area. Scott and I were moving there in a month and I had no idea where we were going to live but I was really looking forward to exploring the new city and countryside. We were expecting to live there for the next three to five years, so I knew I had to pick a pretty decent place.

This year...

I just left DC for Ohio and in two days we'll be heading back to celebrate Christmas. We prayed for good weather for the drive here and we are praying for the same on the way back.

We were able to go home to Denver to see the family over Thanksgiving but we couldn't do it again so soon. Instead of our presence we sent presents in packages to our families. Hopefully we will Skype on Christmas Day and be able to see everyone.

I am living in a place in DC and Scott is still living in our place in Ohio. We are doing all we can to be reunited but we will close out 2012 the way we closed 2011, apart. Although physically we will probably ring in the new year together, a day later we will spend the night alone because this is our reality right now.

As somber as this may sound, we have a wonderful life. Our jobs are fascinating and we love the work we are blessed to do. Every few days we are overjoyed to be in one another's presence, how many couples entering their seventh year of marriage can say the same? I know we will look back at this time as one of our least favorite, but we will also look back on it with a little fondness as a time when we overcame challenges and were happy.

Merry Christmas 

Timor-Leste Continued

Back to where we were. Timor-Leste was a great experience.
Every day I took meetings the Embassy had arranged for me and every evening I was left to explore the city and get to know the people and their existence.

I was impressed by how overwhelming friendly people were. For the most part, people would smile at me as I walked by and I would smile back. Men would say, "hello! where are you going?" which I imagine, for many of them, might have been the extent of their English-speaking ability.

I had the opportunity to visit a coffee cooperative high in the mountainous jungle and a police station in the valley below.

(I tried to upload pictures but failed. Technology has outsmarted me again).

I was in Dili for just under a week when I had to move on to Jakarta, Indonesia. What a different place it was in comparison.

My arrival in Jakarta was difficult. I planned to withdraw money from an ATM so when I left the airport arrivals area I went straight for the bank machines. Not a single one would recognize my card (although I realized for a time I was putting in the wrong code with the wrong card...oops) and I started to be concerned the machines would keep my card since I kept entering wrong numbers. I asked where a money exchange desk was and the person indicated it was up one floor and outside.

I exited the arrivals area looking for the exchange desks and they were nowhere to be found. At this point I am on the curb with no rupiah, the name of my hotel, and that is it. I beg my way back into the airport (something that would probably never happen in the US, they would not let someone back into the secure area through the exit door). I found a single money exchange desk open and exchanged what few U.S. dollars I had for rupiah.

Now here is where I had not done my homework. I knew that U.S. dollars were the currency in Timor-Leste but I had never looked up the currency of Indonesia. I had no idea about exchange rates or anything. When I exchanged $60 and received 540,000 rupiah, I barely knew how to compute such large numbers. I was afraid I would not have enough money for my few days there so I found a taxi desk that would let me pay with a credit card. I am sure I paid too much for a taxi to the hotel but I was just so pleased to have money and a taxi that knew where I was going, I just didn't care.

It was 11pm (but I thought it was midnight, silly time changes I do not keep track of) and there were people everywhere. There was so much traffic it took me an unreasonably long time to get to the hotel (I know because it took less than half the time for me to get back). There were street vendors out serving food, a horde of motorbikes weaving in and out of traffic. It seemed like daytime except for the absence of the sun.

I finally arrived at the hotel and it was an incredible place. The receptionist escorted me to my room and showed me all its features (including a toilet that had its own remote - fancy stuff) and every time I picked up the phone or approached the desk they all knew my surname and used it in greeting me. It was a relaxing couple days after the busy pace of meetings in Dili.

I spent my Friday at the Embassy in Jakarta, taking more meetings and meeting my colleagues there. The Embassy is huge compared to the facility in Dili. It was interesting to consider the different presences the United States has in different countries. I took a taxi from the hotel to the Embassy and had the great fortune of having an honest taxi driver. Since I was not used to dealing in thousands and hundreds of thousands when paying for items I almost paid the taxi driver $30 for a $3 tax ride. He was a very kind man and said, "Oh Miss, be careful with your money!" He handed all my bills back to me and explained how much I needed to give him. I was glad he was an honest man and the first person I tried to pay. Haha.

My last day was spent visiting a couple malls in Jakarta. I would have liked to get outside the city, but since my flight was that evening I was afraid I did not have enough time. I visited @america, an youth-engagement place run by the Embassy and located in the Pacific Place mall, and spent a great deal of time wandering through the Grand Indonesia Mall. Finally, at 8pm, I got my luggage, got a taxi and headed back to the airport for my flight home.

The flight was long and I was not as fortunate as I was with my flights to the East. I was given a middle seat for the flight home because there was no way for me to check-in in advance. However, once I got on the long flight home a young boy and his father offered to trade their seats with my so I was against the window. Turned out the man had once worked for the Department so we bonded over our work in the 13 hours we were together on the plane.

I arrived back in D.C. in the afternoon, took a long taxi ride home, and arrived to my empty apartment. I showed up bright and early for work the next morning and my understanding of my job has been so much better for it!

Things have been great since my trip. It has been almost two months now and every day is better than the last. I get to do exciting things and learn new things I did not know the day before.

Hurricane Sandy

One day post-hurricane and all is well here. I've only ventured far enough out the front door to let the dogs go out (poor Meili could barely make it) but it seems that my area is pretty good.

I've heard of flooding and fallen trees but I am blessed that there was none of that for me. The lights flickered quite a few times but power remained steady. I want to go out but I'm afraid I might get stuck in water and then put the lives of rescue workers at risk. So I will stay put.

I cleaned everything but the bathroom, but that is coming at some point today. I baked, ironed and played some games. I wish I had some crafts or some project to work on. I need to get more creative. But I still feel like I'm only halfway living in this apartment. Boxes are piled up and I've opened all the ones I can get too and they hold things that I don't know what to do with so I leave them in their boxes. I'll be living here for at least another year and a half, I need to do something to make it feel more like home.

But for now, I'll keep cleaning and cooking.

Dili, Timor-Leste and the present

As "Frankenstorm" begins to bear down on the Northeast, let me describe what it was like to be in sunny, tropical Timor-Leste.

September 29th - Leaving Singapore and Arriving in Dili

I was sad I could not spend more time in Singapore. It was a very interesting airport, so I can only imagine how interesting the city would have been. There were buses and trains that went straight from the airport to downtown for a very reasonable price, but alas, there will always be another day.

The flight from Dili to Singapore was pretty nice, but by this point my body was so messed up about what time of day it was and when I should have been eating that I could just not stomach any more food. It was a shame too, because the food on this flight was really nice, I just could not eat it. I was the slowest person in the section around me (which is usually the case with me on the planes, I don't know why that is. I'm not usually a slow eater) and I thought there was a chance the plane was going to land and I was still going to have my nice food tray.

Landing in Dili was an experience. We came in over the water and landed on a small air strip that was next to palm trees and the sea. There was one other plane already on the runway, and that was it. They pulled our plane up next to that one, rolled the stairs up next to it and out we walked onto the tarmac. Oh my goodness, it was hot and muggy. I was not quite prepared for this level of heat.

As we walked up to the airport, I saw the UN peacekeepers standing at the entrance. I had never been to a country that currently had a UN peacekeeping force. As I went through immigration, there were many of them, from many different nations, milling through the people and talking to them in various languages. After immigration was baggage claim - a single belt that dumped most of the suitcases on to the floor. I have been to tiny airports so this was nothing unusual.

Lucky for me, the Embassy had sent a driver to meet me at the airport and I didn't have to deal with trying to find a taxi and the hotel on my own. Whenever I have visited an airport, no matter the country, there is a pretty standard taxi system. There are the taxis that wait in the designated area and then there are the taxi drivers who stop you on the way to the designated area and offer you a ride in their taxi for a "better price." As I followed the Embassy driver through the craziness that was the tiny airport exit full of family, sellers, taxi drivers, I was just so glad to not have to figure this all out on my own. I truly love traveling and experiencing other countries, but for some reason I kind of stress out about the airport part of it (just wait until I get to Jakarta...oh the experience there...)

The driver was very kind and explained a little about himself and the city to me as he took me to the hotel. The hotel was a nice place - the room itself reminded me very much of China. The a/c units were exactly the same and there was one in the living room and one in the bedroom, which was especially nice. The hotel had a little restaurant and I figured I would check that out later. As I settled into the room I thought I would have a little rest and then go in search of dinner (it was about 3:30 in the afternoon). So, I tried to stay awake until after 4, and then I laid down.

And then I woke up at 3:30am. Jet lag is some fun stuff. I tried to force myself back to sleep and it worked, a little. I got up and decided to see if I could use the computer to get on the internet. The hotel had given me the code but I had to enter all this other information to get the computer hooked up in the first place. I am pretty proud of myself on this one. After years of listening to my father-in-law and my husband discuss computers, settings, IP addresses, etc., I was able to figure out how to get this to work without any assistance. A moment of triumph for me.

September 30th -
I was invited on a outing by some people from the Embassy for my first full day in Timor-Leste. It was a Sunday and we went to Maubara, where there is a Dutch/Portuguese Fort. After viewing the Fort we had lunch and the restaurant inside. My first experience with Timorese food was really great. Chicken with rice and some kind of sauce. Very tasty.

The beach is beautiful in Timor-Leste. The water is so clear and blue. We walked to the beach across the street from the Fort and I put my feet in the ocean, accidentally. As we were standing on the beach, there was a whale that swam by. The depth of the water increases dramatically not too far from shore and there was a whale coming up out of the water and breathing through its blow hole. It was awesome. We all tried to get pictures, but it was difficult to do. Once I upload my pictures I will add the one with the whale - the tiny silver sliver in the sea. As we were all searching for the next place the whale would pop up - the ocean came up and soaked our shoes. It was a long ride home with squishy socks.

I was invited to celebrate Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival with some people from the Embassy that evening. It was really fascinating to spend time with others who had been living in Timor for some time. By the time 8pm rolled around, I could not hang on any longer. I took the short walk back to my hotel and crashed. Then 3:30am came around again...


Next time on the blog...meetings! That is pretty much what my trip in Dili consisted of. But that is the point of these familiarization trips. And they were some very fascinating meetings.

For now, I need make sure I have everything in order to prepare for this storm. They have said its going to be bad, but so far there is not much wind and a little rain. We will see how it goes down over the next 12 hours though. I have never been through a hurricane. Should be interesting.

And being that it is so close to Halloween, I chose this weekend to start watching The Walking Dead. Alone. That might have been a mistake. Sometimes this show is scary!

Unfortunate Anniversary

Today marks exactly a year since Scott and I started living apart. He started training in Oklahoma while I was still moving out of our house in Colorado and into my parent's basement while I finished my degree.

This has been an exciting year for a lot of reasons but this has also been a very hard year for us. It is so difficult to be apart from the person you love. I have so much respect for military couples. We have only been separated for three weeks at the most and we know it could be so much worse. But that does not make this any easier.

I am so excited for the day we can be a couple that lives together again. Hopefully that day is weeks away, not months away. But I have a feeling we are not going to be that lucky.

Contrary to Popular Belief...

I think about writing a new post all the time. But I am either at work, out with friends or simply too tired to write. That has been my life for the last couple months.

Even now, there are so many things I want to say but I am not sure where to begin.

Work has been challenging, but it has been good. Every day I feel more confident about what I am doing and I have fewer questions than the day before.

A nice perk of the desk officer job? I got to take a familiarization trip to the region! It was so beneficial to my work that I feel blessed to have been able to go on one so soon after starting work.

I shall begin with the preparation...

September 26th -
Arranging an overseas trip with multiple legs and stops is a rather complicated process. There is a travel company that arranges the flights for us, but up until the day before I left I was on the phone with them at least once a day. At this point, I was just going to be happy if when I showed up at the airport someone would let me on a plane.

Packing was interesting. I have never been on a trip where I had to have business attire. I packed a couple suit jackets and nice pants and skirts along with casual clothes for the evenings. It was supposed to be in the 80s and 90s where I was going and it was starting to turn to fall here in DC. Plus there is the fact that I am always freezing on planes. I need long pants and a jacket just to survive the flight.

September 27th -
The day to leave has arrived! Its a Thursday and I am not going to arrive in Dili, Timor-Leste until Saturday. This is going to be a long trip...

My loving husband dropped me off at the airport. He tried to go through security with me (since he has a badge) but they weren't having it. Apparently that only works in Colorado and sometimes in Oklahoma. So we had to say goodbye before I descended into the security area. It was hidden from the public view so I had no idea the line was so massive. Being former TSA, I am always interested in how other airports set up their screening areas. Dulles is crazy efficient. There were over 30 screening lanes with glass dividing doors and after the ticket check you pick your own lane. I thought security was going to take forever but I was through in no time.

I was in the second to last row on the plane but I was by the window, so I thought that was nice. No one came to the middle seat so I was excited about that. Since the flight was 14+ hours on the way to Tokyo, each seat had its own personal tv, which was awesome as well. The girl on the aisle in my row could not get her tv to work. She had the flight attendant reset the tvs in our row three times (I was trying to watch the movie Brave and it was starting to get ridiculous with how many times I had seen the same part). In the end her tv simply would not work, so she decided to move seats. Three hours into the flight, and I had my own row!

It was pretty nice that I was able to stretch out and have a real rest for the rest of the flight. I was able to sleep for about 5 hours, which I thought was key since I wanted to acclimate to the new time zone as easily as possible (boy was I in for a surprise...).

We arrived in Tokyo and I had to go through security again to board my next flight to Singapore. I have never been to Japan so I was excited for the little glimpse of the country I was able to see out the window. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day so my glimpse was very limited. While I was going through security I was wondering about the lives of the security screeners. I am sure they find their jobs to be mundane (as I sometimes did when I worked airport security) but I was fascinated because they lived in Japan. Theirs was a life I was trying to comprehend but I could not because I don't know anything about what the everyday life in Japan might be like. I am sure there are things that are similar to my own, but at the same time I am sure there are things that are vastly different. It makes me think that no matter how boring and repetitive your own life may seem, there is someone out there who is fascinated by it because their own is so different.

I think by this point it was September 28th. I am not really sure. I was only in Tokyo's airport for about two hours before I was on my way to Singapore. I arrived in Singapore after it was already dark. I think it was still the 28th and I had to overnight in Singapore before my flight to Dili the next morning.

The Singapore airport is like a little city. There is a movie theater and parks and just all kinds of things. Look up Changi Airport and just be amazed at what is going on there. The sad part was I didn't have any time to experience any of it. My arrival time was almost midnight. After my bag arrived I went straight to the hotel that is part of the airport. Of course, it was the middle of the day back in DC so I was not tired. Looking back, I should have tried to go out to the city a little. I was told that Singapore never sleeps but I figured since it was so late there would be nothing for me to see. So I stayed in my room, had a bath, had a rest and got up at 7am the next morning to catch my flight to Dili.

Next time on the blog...
Read about my flight and first days in Dili, Timor-Leste!

In the meantime, look up Changi Airport and then (if you haven't already) find Dili on a map. Its way out there and pretty close to Australia.

I still exist!

Work is good. I continue to learn new things everyday and eventually I will feel on top of everything. However, I don't think it will take the several months I was originally told it would.

But there have been fun adventures the last few weeks!!

That look

Its week 3 of my DC job, and its a lot like A-100. Everyday I know a vast amount of information I did not know the day before. Only this time, its serious stuff. Like arranging high level meetings and going to meet people who actually make those really important decisions. Its not like I didn't know this is what people in the State Department do, I just can't believe I am a part of it.

I saw the latest A-100 class as they were entering the building this morning. I stopped to talk to them for a moment and the two I spoke to stared at me with a look of bewilderment and confusion. I remember that look. I remember that feeling; just two short months ago I was in their shoes. Walking into the building on my first day was overwhelming. Did I go through the right door? Is this where I am supposed to be?

Talking to them made me realize I used to have look. I don't anymore. I now have a completely different look of confusion on a whole other level. I just hope I am keeping it in check when I need to!

Labor Day Fun!

To begin with, my first week of work is over. What a week it was. I am excited, I am confused, I am overwhelmed, I am a lot of things everyday. So far, I enjoy the work but I know it is going to take some time to get up to speed. From what I have been told it does not happen quickly, and after this week I can believe it. I know I am really going to enjoy the work but I know I will enjoy it much more after I feel like I am on top of my subjects. But in this is where I will excel. I am an historian; I strive to become the expert in a niche topic. In this job, my niche topic will simply be an entire country!

On my first weekend from my new job, we decided to take a trip to Boston!

Actually, we had the trip planned months ago in celebration of our wedding anniversary. We were hoping that no matter what happened with my training we would have the weekend available and that was the case!

Getting to and from Boston was a little adventure in itself. We decided to take the Amtrak to Baltimore and fly out of there. Union Station in D.C. was crazy full of people and yet the train had plenty of open seats. It occurred to us that this was probably the first time either of us had taken a train in the U.S. It was a nice experience. I just wish traveling by train wasn't so cost prohibitive. I am heading out to Boston again in the next few weeks and I would take the train all the way there except that it is less than half the cost to fly. That is just silliness. The trip home was another experience all together. We were waiting on the platform until midnight getting stared down by a praying mantis. It was intense.

I did not exaggerate. This was a serious stare down.

Boston was great! Neither of us had been before and there was the added joy of hanging with my Peeps while we were there! Peeps and soon-to-be Mr. Peeps hosted us at their amazing home and showed us all around the city. Once I get the pictures downloaded I will have to put some up.

My amazing lobster dinner! 

Thanks to the incredible hosting qualities of my Peeps and almost Peeps-in-law we saw all the historical highlights of Boston including a personal guided tour of the Freedom Trail, site of the Boston Tea Party (which was a little ridiculous), MIT and its tunnels, Harvard Square, and many other worthwhile sites. But the best part of the weekend was spend chilling with my Peeps. This trip has been seven years in the making (we talked about my coming out to Boston ever since we were at Oxford together) and I sincerely hope it will not be so long before we can make a trip out again. Although I will be there in just a few weeks for the wedding of my Peeps and Mr. Peeps, we need to make another extended stay after their splendid day :)

Peeps and us at MIT!

And so begins week two of the job. I'm looking forward to it!

And so, it ends...

A-100 is officially over. We were back at Main State for our swearing-in ceremony on Friday. It was the same building this whole experience started in six weeks prior. We were in the auditorium next door and I remember being so overwhelmed at the mere prospect of this life. I barely understood where I was supposed to go, what I was supposed to be doing and I did not know anyone. I knew a lot of names from the online groups and some faces from the happy hour the night before, but I still didn't know how I was going to fit into all of this.

And here I am, a short time later, and I have more new friends than I know what to do with. I am so invested in their lives and happy for them as everyone will be starting work, heading off to a new country, or beginning their training in the next couple weeks. I think I have said it multiple times before, but these people are really amazing. And their spouses, kids, and families are just as awesome. I cannot wait to hear from the ones that leave right away once they reach their first posts and I look forward to getting to know the ones that will still be around even better.

As for me, I start work tomorrow! I was so preoccupied with finding an apartment (not an easy task!) that I have barely thought about my new job. After days of searching and literally hundreds of calls (mostly made by my amazing husband), I have a place to live! Its a really nice property and although the location is not exactly what I was hoping for its still plenty close to everything. I am just hoping to find out that some co-workers live in the same area (surely the odds are in my favor, right?).

Tomorrow is going to be a great day. I had the opportunity to visit my new office last week and see my desk and the map on the wall (arguably my favorite part. I do love my maps). The best part of tomorrow? Finding out exactly what I will be doing! Its going to be good.

A Flag Day Tale

I have read a lot of flag day stories. They are usually ones of joy and excitement or of anger and frustration. This is neither.

When I woke up the day didn't really feel like a big deal. I had slept well the night before and yet I wanted to keep sleeping. But I got up and was kind of excited for the first order of the day, a trip to the CIA building.

The past week had been really intense. Part of that was because the skills we were learning were pretty difficult but I also think it was because they wanted to keep our minds completely occupied. It worked. Friday was like a reward. A trip to the CIA followed by flag day. While the morning was interesting, I was ready to move on and get the to main event.

My family was there which I was really excited about. My parents tried to come to Ohio a couple months ago but it didn't work out so I hadn't seen them in a while. My grandpa and aunt came too which was great.

All week people had been asking each other, "what is your number one choice?" and I had latched on to Mongolia. In all honesty I was really attached to all of my top choices but Mongolia just became an easy go-to answer. I would have been a little sad not to go to all of them which is one reason I was so looking forward to flag day. I was genuinely excited to find out where everyone was going because if I could not be the one to go to each awesome place on our list I wanted to find out who would.

When we got in the room it still didn't feel real. I saw the projection saying, "welcome to flag day" and it still didn't feel real. I chose my seat next to my dearest friends and it still didn't feel real. Then we did the wave as we sat in our seats; well that was just silly. And then they brought the flags in. Ok, this is it.

I am the kind of person who wants to know everyone. I know the first and last name of all 90+ people in my class as well as our coordinators and a few other people who have been involved in our training. I was genuinely thrilled to write down where each person was going so I could be excited for them and keep a list for my own reference. Starting the event off with a bang, one of my best friends was called first. It was exactly the country she wanted to be in and I was so excited for her. As the names and countries of the rest if my classmates were called I kept up with writing each one down. I was hardly registering whether or not I wanted the posts that were being called, I was just keeping track of who was going and where.

And then the Washington, DC flag appeared on the screen and I was already looking at that post on my list for some reason (DC posts were on the second page). As soon as the announcer started reading the job I closed my eyes. It was going to be mine and for some reason I knew it. He called my name and it took me a second to not write my own name down before I got up to collect my flag.

I was overwhelmed and a little in shock. I took my flag and folder in a daze and walked to the back to hug Scott. He was smiling for me and as I glanced down the row at my parents my dad mouthed, "Is this good?" I nodded and kept a smile on my face (at some point I may share the photo my mother took of me at this moment. I look exceedingly ridiculous with my crazy smile). I cried, but went back to my seat to keep writing down where everyone else was going. The tears were not out of sadness or joy but just from the emotion of the event.

This was absolutely not on my radar. But it's going to be great. I am excited about getting to know the city and the people. My biggest concern at the moment is finding a place to live because they are kicking me out of state housing and DC is expensive!

As for the job itself: I am thrilled. It's exactly the bureau I want to be in and it also happens to be the subject I know the most about. I start really soon and although it would maybe have been more exciting to be heading overseas right away I will be bidding next month on my first overseas position!

God's Plan

On my calendar this week was the following verse:

"Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him." -Mark 1:3

I have been trying to keep this verse in my mind as we wait for Flag day. No matter what flag comes up when my name is called, that is where God wants us to be. It is going to be the right place for us.

It's hard to remember that as the day approaches. I get nervous, then I get worried, then I stress out. But then I try to remember that verse. Wherever we go, we can serve God there. And it will be great.

I need to remember that.

The week is here

This is the week. The week when we are told our first post. And to distract us they have put so much work before us that I barely have time to think about Friday. I prefer it that way actually. It is nice to have so much to do in the meantime that I don't dwell on it. Well, not any more than I already have been.

Last week has, once again, been fascinating. My time in graduate school is coming back to me very clearly, including the things I was not very good at.

My second to last semester in school I took two classes that were by far the most difficult of my academic career (after Science classes, but those don't count). It wasn't my research or analysis that those classes tested but my writing ability. I was honestly a little shocked because writing was something I've never had trouble with in all my schooling. I worked harder in those two classes than in my undergraduate and graduate career combined. The part that I really had to work on was the use of passive voice and being succinct.

Now I get to this new career. I am so pumped to do something I've never done before and learn all these new things and what am I confronted with? Writing for the Foreign Service. Here are some tips on writing diplomatic cables: don't use passive voice and be succinct. Haha. Awesome. The two things I am apparently worst at in writing are the top two tips. You know, my multi-page dissertation will probably get the point across just as well.

This week is even more of a challenge. The two main components are public speaking and answering tough questions. Public speaking is not really new to me since I have given speeches and presentations plenty of times but the topic was always something I was really comfortable with. I have spent a lot of time researching and learning about the past, not the present. So that is an adjustment. The answering tough questions part.....well that is something I will surely improve on after this week is over.

And then.....on to Flag Day.....

Week Four begins

I cannot believe three weeks of A-100 have already passed. It is just amazing. Tomorrow is Monday and before I know it the weekend will be here again and it will finally be the all important week five....the week of Flag Day. But more on that another time.

This past week was a rather short one because it was the week of the offsite trip. They took our class out of the classroom for a couple days so we could get to know each other and work on some leadership and teamwork techniques. It was a lot of fun. The only thing I would have changed was the weather. It was terribly hot and all of the activities were outdoors. I miss the dry heat of Colorado. I also miss how it cools down in the evening. D.C. is lacking both of these qualities.

I never cease to be amazed at the history and experiences of my classmates. This weekend I spoke to people in my class I had never spoken to before. Its a little odd. I know their name and handful of facts about them but we have never had an actual conversation. There is still a handful of people I've never had a real conversation with. I am hoping that this will change over the next three weeks but I fear that there is a good possibility I will leave the swearing-in ceremony without knowing some people in my class.

Flag Day is less than two weeks away!!!!! Ahhh!! So crazy. Less than two weeks until we find out where we will next call home. I am so excited but so nervous at the same time.

Olympics!

I love the Olympics. I particularly love the Opening Ceremonies. I have always loved getting together with people to watch the event because its a presentation of what each nation loves about itself and wants to communicate to the rest of the world.

Tonight was especially great. I was having serious social anxiety about inviting my new colleagues over to watch the ceremonies. I had mentioned it almost a month ago (before I met anyone) on an online forum our class had established. Its easy to suggest events so far in advance but when it came down to this week I was being ridiculous about bringing it up again.

Training class is a little like a bubble. I am barely aware of the actual date or even day of the week sometimes; I just know what is on the schedule and what I need to be doing. However, the Olympics were always on my radar. I knew they were coming but quite a few people had honestly lost track of the dates. In my silly social anxiety I literally wrote the invitation e-mail three separate times and then closed the window because I felt silly.

After I finally worked up the courage to invite my whole class (90+ people) I was worried too many people were going to come. My apartment is a one bedroom and although its plenty large for me and Scott I was worried about hosting a large crowd. In the end about 25 people came and it was tight but it never felt too crowded.

I will reserve my judgement on the opening ceremonies themselves. I wasn't watching as closely as I usually would and I could barely hear the commentary most of the time. I will say, it was pretty interesting to think this was what Great Britain wanted the world to know about themselves. I have a Master's in History and I was pretty lost for a lot of the "historical" part. Also, there are a lot of scary characters in British fairy tales. And the Queen and James Bond? That was pretty awesome. I am going to youtube that later. Ok, so I judged anyway.

I must say, watching the Olympic Parade of Nations with my fellow brand new foreign service officers really brings a different element. In mere weeks we will all be assigned to one of the nations we saw celebrated on television tonight. We cheered for every country on our bid list and "awww-ed" at the countries we wish were on the list. The loudest cheer for each country came from the person hoping to be placed there.

At this point, we all just want to know. Where am I going to go? Which flag am I going to be holding on flag day? We really don't know. After some meetings today we have a better idea about where some of us might end up, but even then there are no guarantees.

No matter how Flag day turns out for me, I am going to be rooting for all the countries I hoped to be posted to, as well as the USA!

This moment

Oh so what am I doing right now? Just taking a short walk from work down past the Washington Monument and the Vietnam War Memorial wall. You know, everyday things.

(!) awesome.

Time flies

It is already the end of week two, which is just amazing. I have learned more in these two weeks than in an entire semester of grad school I think!

So far, it has been great. The people, both in my class and the others we've met, have all been amazing. I have not met a person that wasn't kind, helpful, and generous. I am sure I will not always feel this way about all the people I meet in this job but at this point I am hopeful! Haha.

Class is overwhelming but it's good. It is unlike any other job I've had. When I go home at the end of the day, I'm not done being a responsible government employee, which will be even more true when I'm living overseas at the grace of a host government.

Scott has been able to visit, which is nice, but only two weeks in and already it's not easy. He left this morning at 6am and if all goes well he will be back on Tuesday evening. And that will be after he worked a full day and then drove for 7 hours. We know this wasn't going to be easy but already I don't like it.

When he was training in Oklahoma we went three weeks without seeing each other. And although it was never fun we made it through just fine. There were a lot of Skype sessions where I just sat in front of my computer for hours and did homework and he studied. That is really not possible here so far. He works some evenings and when he doesn't work either he or I are out doing something. I'm glad we are out instead of barricading ourselves inside but I think we are already feeling the impact of not talking so often. We are the kind of people who speak on the phone multiple times a day even when we were coming home to the same house at night. Days without constant interaction are not normal for us.

I like to think this will get easier but I am sure it will be anything but. The longer we keep this up the more we will benefit financially (our hope is to go overseas as close to debt-free as possible). But at what point do we decide the sacrifice isn't worth the potential gains?

In other news, we are mere weeks from flag day! I cannot believe it is so close! Our bid lists are due soon and there are so many amazing places on the list. Each day a new one becomes my favorite and I wish I could make a list of all the places I hope to go to someday. Soon I will be able to focus on one of them as the location for our next adventure in life!

First week of A-100

Is over!

This is so crazy. One week of my orientation is already complete. Part of me feels like I have been here for a while but the other part feels like every day is still my first day. I am lost in the city and in the buildings but the amount of knowledge I have gained since Monday is staggering.

Got the bid list. Incredible. There are so many amazing posts and I feel we cannot end up with something we would really dislike. There are a couple unaccompanied posts but we are hoping to avoid those this time around. We are only three weeks away from Flag day, which is also crazy. I really think that is going to be an awesome experience because as excited as I am to see where we will be going I am already looking forward to finding out who gets all these other awesome posts.

I am so tired at the moment that I cannot keep writing. Suffice it to say this has been a great experience thus far and I am looking forward to more!

Washington, D.C.

We have arrived! Unfortunately we left Ohio a little later than I was hoping and arrived in Washington, D.C. around 1:45am. The drive was not too bad. We encountered a little rain in Pennsylvania but because Scott plans well not a single item in the bed of the truck was wet when we arrived. In case you hadn't noticed, he is pretty awesome.

I am staying in the apartments paid for directly by the State Department and so far it has been great. The night security guard was amazingly helpful and walked me through the check-in process despite my being half asleep. He then got us a luggage cart to unload the truck and replacement keys for the apartment when the door would not open.

The apartment itself is pretty great as well. It is completely furnished including awesome artwork on the walls. There is even a fake tree and you know a place doesn't feel at home until there is a fake tree. I look forward to hosting some visitors on the hide-a-bed in the couch! (hint hint to all of you)

Tonight was the meet-n-greet hosted by the 166th A-100 class. There are so many people in my class that there was no way I could meet them all in two hours. However, the people I did meet were fascinating. I keep thinking that at some point since I was invited to this class they are going to call and rescind my offer and tell me this has all been a big mistake and they never meant to extend me an offer. And after meeting my fellow classmates I am expecting it even more. Everyone has such interesting stories about their lives and their experiences; I cannot wait to meet everyone else and learn their stories as well.

Tomorrow is my first day and I have a lot to get together before I will feel prepared enough to go to sleep. Hopefully it will go well and I won't forget anything important!

Goodbye Ohio!

The day has finally arrived. I am packing and getting all the last minute things together this morning and when Scott gets home we will be heading out to D.C. This still does not feel like it is actually happening right now. I do not feel like I am going to be sleeping somewhere new tonight. I also do not feel remotely ready. 

Even as I sit here and type this there is so much I need to do that I have not done. But I needed to eat breakfast, so I figured, "I can type while I do that!" Nope. I read some news stories and watched a couple videos and now that my cereal is gone I am typing this. This does not bode well for my day.

My sweet Belle knows we are packing and does not want us to leave without her. Even after we made her get out of the bag I'd turn around and she would be right back in. I had to close it to keep her out. Little does she know....

We went through everything in the basement in an attempt to organize for a future pack out. The dogs, who have previously refused to go into the basement because they were afraid of it or something, came down the stairs and watched us move everything around just to make sure they were not missing something. 

Although my time in Ohio was a lot shorter than I anticipated it has actually been really great. I am so thankful for the people I met while we were here. 

I am thankful for the friends we made at Ontario Christian Church who took us into their lives even though they barely knew us. It made such a difference to feel like someone cared about us in a town where we knew no one and invited us over on holidays. It makes me realize I should have done the same when I was at a church where I knew everyone. I never understood how difficult it was for new people to get acquainted and become part of a group. I feel so blessed for everyone who reached out to us and I hope to do the same for others!

Zephyr and I outside of Grandpa's Cheesebarn!

I am also thankful for Grandpa's Cheesebarn and all the people I met there. I feel so blessed to have been able to keep working there even after they found out I was leaving in a couple months! The atmosphere was welcoming and the people I worked with were kind and fun to be around. I actually looked forward to going to work (and not just because I love cheese. Although I do love cheese, that should not be understated).

Although my time in Ohio was much shorter than I anticipated I am thankful for it. Now I look forward to new adventures, new people, and a plethora of other things I will soon be thankful for!

Tune in next time for reports from Washington, D.C.! (Haha, I know, that was so cheesy. Did I mention I love cheese? I really don't think I can say that enough).

The mess

My poor dogs know what packing is. Having moved three times in the last ten months, they understand the meaning of the suitcase.

I was trying to figure out why they were being so clingy this afternoon. I figured MeiLi's problem was that age had been stung by a bee and was therefore not feeling well (I had the flick the honeybee off her leg). But Belle was inexplicable.

However, as I started packing all my clothes this evening I figured it out. I couldn't walk into the other room without my little companions right at my heels. They know I'm packing and they think they are going to be left behind. Oh little dogs...they have no idea what is in store for them.

They had to be right in the middle of my mess. Also, this picture makes it look like I own a lot of pink. I do not. These are probably all the pink clothing items I own, except for the shirt I am currently wearing.

Its all coming together, or apart...

By this time next week I will be in the midst of my first day with the State Department. I will be getting my picture taken and getting all sorts of new employee paperwork and tasks to complete. This does not seem real at all. Sometimes I feel like Scott and I are a little in denial. Even though we are preparing, packing, and getting everything done I still do not feel like I will be living somewhere different on Saturday night. But then again, what is it supposed to feel like?

You think Scott and I would be used to this by now. The other day I figured out that in the past ten months we have only spent one full month together - May. Starting in October 2011 and coming to this July one of us has always been gone. He was in Oklahoma from October to January and then I was living part-time in Colorado February, March and April. May, we were finally together and even went to Canada as a little celebration. June I was in Chicago for a few days and now here we are in mid-July I will be on my way by the end of the week. This will be much easier than Oklahoma was though. A 7 hour drive is much more manageable than a 10+ hour drive.

The house looks crazy and a little sad. Even though Scott is not moving out yet we took everything off the walls and off shelves to put in piles for the eventual pack out (he didn't want to get stuck with all the moving duties, again). So now our house looks much like it did when we first moved in just six months ago.

And for seemingly silly concerns:
What shoes will I wear on my first day? I don't have them yet. I know all the shoes I currently own are either not dressy enough or will not allow me to last the whole day without being in pain. Where are my comfy dress shoes? I am beginning to think such a thing does not exist. I know you are probably asking yourself, who the heck cares about what shoes they are going to wear? Well, ever since my foot surgeries I cannot mess around with shoes that are not just right and for all the walking I am going to be doing all over D.C. and Virginia, I need good shoes.

And for serious concerns:
The State Department has yet to receive my transcript with my master's degree confirmed. If they don't receive if before Monday my pay has to be downgraded as if I did not possess a master's degree. I called the school and it was sent June 27th. They cannot help me any further. I decided to order another and pay for a rush order and the website timed out so now I cannot tell if it has been ordered properly or if I still need to pay for it. All it says is "pending." That is a very unhelpful word.

And I still don't have my amended travel orders. Not that either of these are huge concern, they are just not helping my already semi-stressed self get stuff together. What justifiably stresses me out: possibly fraudulent e-mails saying I am delinquent on a student loan I never took out for a University I never attended.

I think from the time I sat down and started writing this to the time it is now has been about 2 hours. I have had to make a lot of calls, write a lot of emails, and wait for webpages to load this morning to make sure I have everything in order (and that I am not getting my identity stolen). I am ready to go but I am also not ready. I have so much to do before I feel ready. Speaking of, I really need to get going.

4th of July fun!

Ok, this one isn't from the 4th of July but I wanted to include it. Its a picture of the balloon glow from Ashland Balloonfest. 

We went to a friend's house to enjoy a cookout, fellowship, and some 4th of July fun. She has some property so we were able to set off fireworks which was nice. Had we been in Colorado this year we would not have been able to set off anything.

The impressive array of fireworks. This was actually a little crazy to me because some of these fireworks were big and went pretty high. You can't get stuff like this in CO and the only time I'd see regular people get to shoot those off was in China. And Scott was in co-charge of this display. I was a little nervous....

The crew. Don't worry, we all moved back when it came time for the big ones.

Pretty impressive for guys just setting them off in the backyard!

And then there was a bonfire. This was crazy to me as well. People in Colorado cannot just have fire in their backyards (and our neighbors in the city have fires all the time, for no discernible reason!). It was a huge fire. I don't think I had been around such a large since my days at Camp Como.

The fire was absurdly hot. I am trying to roast a marshmallow on with an extension on my stick because I could not bear to be any closer. I am actually trying to shield my face from the heat too. Everyone laughed at me until...

they tried to roast marshmallows too. It was hot and as close as Scott is in this picture, he did not stay there very long!

We had a really great time with our new friends. Who knows where our next 4th of July will be!?

Take it, Leave it, Store it?

The question of the day: do we take this item, leave it here (sell it, donate it, whatever), or send it to storage for the foreseeable future? Thanks to this line of thinking, our house is in utter disarray.

It has been hot here. Really hot. 90+. Now most of the time that is not really a big deal, but in a house that has no A/C (and possibly no insulation), that is really hot. Usually we can get our house to be between 5 and 10 degrees cooler than outside, which is not saying much. And then add the humidity. Needless to say, its very difficult to get the motivation to do anything inside the house when its that warm.

We should have buckled down and worked on packing this morning before the heat really took over but I just could not get moving. So Scott worked on the computer and I watched a movie and went through the rest of my clothes in the one room that does have a window air conditioner - our bedroom. I only ventured out to get more clothes or put them away.

However, after realizing that we did not accomplish enough on our precious day off together (one of the few we have left) we decided it was time to just put a few things in order for the future pack out. Instead we attacked the living room, dining room, and office. It may not sound like much but that is at least 60-70% of our possessions. I found myself parting with things that nine months ago I was sure I needed in my life. I imagine that in the near future I will find myself doing this again. We want to downsize but at the same time there is no reason to get rid of everything just because we don't want to take it overseas.

We have some heirloom dishes, antiques, Chinese artifacts, and various other items that are not going to make it if we haul them around the world. But really, there is no reason we can't just put them in storage and leave them for years if need be. Its funny, but Scott and I have attached different meanings to different items which makes it difficult for us to let them go. For instance, there is a painting I absolutely love that we bought from an artist in France. Scott feels bad about the painting because he feels that he haggled with the artist to harshly while I love it because it was so difficult bringing it home without it getting ruined. For these separate reasons we will not let it go. It is an interesting time for us actually; learning what certain objects mean to the other person.

We did take a break to go see a fireworks display but a thunderstorm shut it down. Sorry about that Ohio. The 4th of July rain apparently followed us from Colorado this year. Instead we hung out with our friends for about an hour and then returned home to continue the packing. It is now 1am and we are calling it a night.

In other news, we had a wonderful 4th of July on the 3rd and Scott set off all kinds of fireworks with some people from our church softball team. I have some great pictures I will try to put up if the heat doesn't chase me out of the office. Tomorrow we venture to Canton to run some errands we cannot accomplish in this small town and visit with a friend we haven't seen since we were last in Colorado!

Its crazy. I have about a week and a half left here. I feel like I have so much to do and that I am walking  into a future I don't really know anything about. Should be quite the trip!

Happy 4th (now 5th, sorry!) of July!

It begins...

I finally started packing today. Since I'm no longer using my UAB shipment (that's unaccompanied air baggage. I can ship 250 lbs. of stuff in addition to anything I could take on a flight with me) I really didn't feel any rush. Scott and I will be driving to DC and then he will be making subsequent trips over the next six weeks so even if I forget something I can just have him bring it a week or so later.

I got through all the clothes in my room and was feeling really good about that accomplishment until I remembered all the clothes I also have in the spare room's closet. Oh man. I have a lot more to get through. Scott might be right, I may have too many clothes. I tried my best to get rid of things but I kept thinking, "who knows where we will be going!? This might be perfect there!" This is a dangerous attitude.

I am also starting to be sad about leaving Ashland. We visited one of our few friends today and I held her newborn daughter. She is so tiny and the next time I see her she will be...who knows? Will I be back to Ashland in a few months or is it possible I will never return to this area? It's a difficult position to be in. Some of the people we've met have been such great friends to us. But will they be lifelong friends? We won't know until we leave.

I have been fortunate enough to know more than a handful of people I can call lifelong friends. No matter how long we go without talking we pick up right where we left off. I feel so blessed to have so many people like that in my life. Unfortunately it has been hard to find the time and money to physically visit them as we are all spread so far apart. With my new job it will now be even harder but I do hope that I can put Ashland on the list of places in the world where my lifelong friends reside.

And now....Ashland Balloonfest pictures!

Papers and balloons

Today is my day off and I planned to get all kinds of things done like packing and planning and sorting and so on. Well, it did not quite go that way.

I slept through my alarm this morning, multiple times (read: I kept turning it off without looking at the time) so I was nearly late to both the groomers and the historic society. After we dropped the dogs off we made it to the historic society to help set up for a silent auction. Unfortunately, I also had to tell them about my new job.

I am so excited about working for the foreign service but my heart just breaks telling everyone around here about it. I was so proactive in trying to meet people and get involved and now after mere months I'm already dating goodbye. The director of the society had to break my heart even more by telling me she was going to have me do research for her next book. I almost told her I would do it anyway, all the way from D.C.

These women at the historic society, the people I work with at the Cheesebarn, and the friends we've made at church have made my short time here so enjoyable. I am truly sad to be leaving but I think that's a good thing. It's better for me to be sad than to hate this place and just want to get out. But I wanted to do that research. I might still find a way....

In FS (foreign service) news, I am not having a UAB shipment anymore. I was already not going to pack out the house at this time since Scott is not moving out yet. But I was informed today that the company doing the moving will not come all the way to Ashland for my little UAB shipment. So I will be taking everything in the car and learning about UABs in the future. Oh well, it's honestly one less thing to worry about now.

Only two and a half weeks left! So crazy. Time is flying by. I am trying to organize all my paperwork today so I know where everything is when I'm asked for it. The house is so hot that I've confined everything to the kitchen table, which is tough when all my scanned documents are on the computer upstairs. But it's like Mordor up there. I'm staying in the Shire.

This weekend is also Ashland's balloon festival! We are going to try to ride a hot air balloon tonight! Should be fun, unless it's crazy hot there too in which I may reconsider getting in a small basket next to a giant flame.

History Moment

Today has been a good day. In the past couple days the stress has started to get to me. There is still do much for me to do and I was also trying to get things with my current job figured out. I was getting overwhelmed. I was glad for today, a break from work and time for me to get things figured out.

After getting some calls and emails out in the morning I drove to the neighboring city of Wooster to visit a little store called Friendtique. It was a cute little place that probably sells one of everything. And in the basement I found great clothes for my new job. Instead of two suit jackets I now have four. At least I feel a little more prepared!

The last week it was pretty warm here. Actually, that's an understatement. It was sweltering here. A house with no AC makes it seem even hotter. Thankfully today is beautiful. The sun is out but a nice breeze chills the air; it feels like fall. I decided to take advantage of the weather and take a walk...to the cemetery.

My interest in cemeteries has led some people to believe I'm odd. I think I really upset a poor girl in Scotland when I insisted on taking a walk through the cemetery next to Stirling Castle. She wouldn't even come inside the gate. Lucky for me, my husband totally gets this crazy hobby of mine. He points out cemeteries when we are on drives and says things like, "ooo, look at that one. You'd love to go there."

I spent this afternoon in Ashland's cemetery. It's a very hilly cemetery, which is unusual for me since most of the cemeteries in Colorado are pretty flat. Even the ones in the mountains. One of my favorite cemeteries is the one in Como, Colorado. Why? Because its full of history. Really, all cemeteries are full of history but I just happen to know a lot about Como's. I'll have to write about that sometime. It's fascinating stuff.

The Ashland cemetery was really lovely and very peaceful. I think that might be another reason why I like them. It's always so peaceful to walk through a cemetery.

I look forward to walking through cemeteries in other countries. Seeing how different cultures remember their dead says a lot about their history and their society. China was interesting because their culture is steeped in ancestor worship. There were some of our neighbors who remembered their ancestors in their own homes and celebrated their memory in the street. I look forward to learning the practices of all different cultures.

Beautiful View of the Ashland Cemetery. 

This tombstone is partially obscured by this tree. I couldn't read it to guess how long it had been there before it had been overtaken. The tree itself was a little unusual. It creaked the entire time I stood there, as if it might split into two at any moment. Maybe it will someday.

As I was walking as I saw many tombstones with the names of a husband and wife with the date of death for only one member of the couple. This is not unusual I know. My grandparents have exactly this. But I wondered, is there one where the person clearly cannot still be alive but they have no date of death listed? And lo and behold in one of the oldest parts of the cemetery I found one. Elizabeth, born in 1818, is surely not still living. What became of her? Where did she go that she did not join her husband here? What kind of life did she have? If I thought I could find her in the public records I would. If I was going to be living in this city longer that is exactly what I would be doing. But since I am leaving soon her life will remain a mystery to us all. This is why I love cemeteries.

Travel Orders

My travel orders have arrived, which is just another step toward this new job feeling real. Of course, since I received them last Friday they have already been amended twice and now I am still waiting for the latest amendment. I have a feeling this a taste of my future life, one of constant change.

I was once told being in the foreign service is like living in a constant state of flux. At the time, I just listened and went on being really excited about this new opportunity. But as I get further into the process I see how that short phrase speaks volumes about what this life really entails. Right now we are trying to decide when Scott will join me in D.C. or if he will come there at all. This is what the people amending my travel orders want to know and this is probably the question I am asked most frequently after "what country will you be going to?" And the answer is always the same: it depends.

It depends on my first post assignment. It depends on how training goes in his job. It depends on how they react to his leaving the facility. It depends on whether or not Midwest ATC (overseas air traffic control contractors) has a presence in that country. It depends. I think this is the new phrase to describe my professional life. But the best part is, this all works for me. I have never been one that needed to have a firm plan for the future. I wanted to rearrange the furniture in our house every few months because I craved change. Now I get to decide what furniture stays and what furniture goes. Of course, it all depends....

Moving Sale!

Today is our first attempt to sell some items before I leave for D.C. in less than a month. We sat down a couple weeks ago and made 4 lists. There was a sell list, a storage list, a take-with-us list, and a Colorado list. The Colorado list is the shortest and contains the few things we cannot take overseas but would also not like to leave in a storage facility.

This being my first Saturday off since we found out about the Foreign Service I decided I would spend it trying to have a yard sale. I should have known this might not work because I have seen at least two of my neighbors have yard sales every weekend since spring began. If they are having sales that often they must not be selling anything. That only occurred to me now.

Now I've only been out here about 2 hours and we have made about 40+ dollars, but so far every single thing we've sold has been to the same crazy neighbor (and he is crazy, we will get to that another time). So far he has come three times and my guess is as the day goes on he will discover more things he needs.

And now the police just pulled up. But they might just be here to arrest our other neighbor again.

And crazy neighbor just came back. And left. Guess nothing appealed to him this time.

Now the cop who arrested my neighbor is listening to excuses from the guy's mother(?) as to why he committed the crime.

I am guessing I could live blog what is happening on my street today and it would be an interesting read. But I have yard sale-ing to get back to. And my new game on my phone is not going to play itself.

I love who we've become

The transition from living in Colorado to living in Ohio has made us very different people. I don't think this necessarily has anything to do with the states themselves but rather the lifestyle we have.

In Colorado, Scott was working 60+ hours a week, I worked full time and for the last two years was also in grad school and we were both involved in church and other activities. In Ohio, Scott works 40 hours a week, no more no less, and I work less than forty hours. We don't know many people so our activities outside of work are greatly diminished (with the foreign service on the horizon we are even less inclined to make new friends now). At first, we didn't know what to do with all this free time. But now we do. We have become book-reading, walking, P90X people.

Now, I was always a book lover but lately my wonderful husband has joined me and it has been amazing. Instead of zoning out to tv when we get home like we did in CO we sit on our porch and read. He read the Lord of the Rings trilogy and now that I finished the Hunger Games he has moved on to them.

And P90x! Well, that is much more him than I. Scott has been keeping up with the regimen faithfully and I just flit in and out as I see fit. tonight I agreed without knowing what I was in for. I was doing the warm up just fine but when the host started making incorrect comments about the geographical position of Belgium I decided I needed my headphones. I got pretty into my music and frequently broke into dance instead of doing pull ups (my playlist is that awesome). There may have been one moment that completely devolved into a dance party, with Scott's complete participation. At another point I was distracted by a world map (the north pole is very interesting...).

Needless to say I am no longer exercising and am instead writing this but no matter. I love the people we are here. Healthier, more active, and generally more excited about the future. We miss family, friends, and even the scenery of Colorado but we don't miss who we were there. Hopefully the new life we are about to embrace will lend itself to our new personas, and I have a good feeling that will be the case.

Now, I must go dance because Scott is making me feel bad for just sitting here while he continues to work out. I love it.

Greyhound

I had the opportunity to ride the greyhound bus today. My first time. It was...quite the experience.

It began in a terminal in a shady part of town, but really, when are bus stations ever in the best part of major cities?

The guys behind me in line contemplated stealing my pillow. Out loud. Of all the things I had, my pillow? Really? Anyway...

The man in front of me had serious dandruff and when a girl sat down next to him they proceeded to have a deep discussion about autism, intimacy, hugging styles (which they proceeded to demonstrate) and all kinds of other things I never needed to hear about.

In Toledo an Indian boy sat next to me, which by itself is nothing. And I understand how different cultures and personal space don't really go together (China cured me of a need for personal space) but when his un-shoed feet are touching me, his food covered hands are wiped on my seat, and he falls asleep drooling on my shoulder I am nearly at my limit.

Then the guy with Tourette's got on the bus and the headphones came on....

In actuality it wasn't that bad. I got a lot of reading in the Hunger Games done which was awesome. Those books thrill me. I was crying and smiling and I am enjoying the read so much. I am kind of excited for the bus ride home so I can finish the book series.

And the goal of all this, to get to Chicago! So far I have seen eight of my Oxford classmates and it has been wonderful. It's so good to catch up and hear about what everyone has been doing and about all the friends that couldn't join us.

And Chicago has been great. Good times already!

It's fifteen minutes after midnight...

literally. I am laying here wondering why I am not tired. I don't drink caffeine and haven't done anything unusual today.

Oh wait, my wonderful husband was making chocolate chip cookies from scratch when I came home. And I ate some of the batter. A lot of the batter. A lot of the batter and a cookie. We are both on a sugar high after midnight and we both have to work in the morning. We are so ridiculous. I am a little surprised the dogs are not going crazy in their kennel- they got in on the batter fun too.

Lightning bugs!

As I sit here scanning my FS paperwork I am thinking about the walk through our neighborhood we took tonight. It was the first time I've ever felt a little unsafe in the area since we first arrived (at that point places were just unfamiliar. I was equally afraid of the area and of getting lost). I may have just been freaking myself out but it was a scary feeling none the less.

However, there were little lightning bugs all over the place and I was reminded of visiting my grandparents in Indiana when I was a kid and being so excited to catch lightning bugs and put them in a mason jar for a night light. That was one of the highlights about coming to the east and I have literally been waiting since January for them to appear.

I caught one and it reminded me of being in my grandparents backyard in Indianapolis, the last place I was when I caught one. How different my life is from then to now. My grandmother is no longer of this earth and my family doesn't even own that house anymore. I am married and getting ready to embark on a totally new era of my life. Where will I be the next time I have an opportunity to catch a lightning bug?

The heat is on

And it is hot!!! Oh my goodness. I am not prepared for summer on the east coast. We had been lucky since we moved out here but nature decided to remind us where we live now. We have one window air conditioner, it is currently in our bedroom, and it is possible that during my upcoming days off that is going to be domicile all day long. I have so many things I need to accomplish but it's so hot in all the rooms of our house except that one.

In the evening we are living on the back porch. So far it's been nice but I know the days are coming when it'll be too hot to even want to be outside. Perhaps I will set up the air mattress in the cellar. Surely it will be cool below ground....

Back Home Again...from Indiana

I feel as if I am going non-stop. A quick trip to Indiana (I left yesterday afternoon) for a graduation and a wedding and I am already back in Ohio. I am here this next week, but then I will be off to Chicago! I am getting very intimately acquainted with where the police like to sit on I-71/I-70, which has so far worked to my advantage but I still have seen entirely too much of them. Also, my car has no A/C. This wasn't so bad on 70-80 degree days but when its 94? Not okay.

In Foreign Service News...

I received my salary offer! Very exciting. My packet with all my moving and transportation information is on its way to my door and next up will be my travel orders. This is where it gets really serious because I need these to book a flight - and that is when I will have a date and time for arriving in D.C. That seems so crazy. Today I realized we still have a video on the digital camera that we took when we were in D.C. the last time, when I was there to take the Oral Assessment for the Foreign Service. That was in September of 2010. Also since that time I have been carrying around my note cards I used to study for that assessment in my backpack. They have gone to school, to the library, on trips with me, all the while sitting in a small pocket in my backpack. I have no intention of removing them and in fact I am probably going to put them in my purse so I will always have them. I kept them because I figured I would use them the next time I took the assessment and I didn't want to lose them. Looks like once was enough for me. 

Ah, it is toasty in this house. I miss central air but I suppose this might be the best way to prepare for an unknown foreign locale that may or may not be ridiculously hot. I am guessing most homes in other nations air conditioning is not a standard feature. 

Few pictures

Space needle!

Washington state was really beautiful. It was like a combination of Colorado and the coast. We loved Seattle especially. Perhaps we will take an extended trip there in the future.

Dam in Vancouver. It was actually the Cleveland dam, which I thought was kind of funny.

Back Home Again...in Ohio...

Back from Canada! It was a good trip, but I was ready to return. Not necessarily to Ohio but I was ready to move on to the next phase in the my life and I knew it wasn't going to happen while I was in Canada.

First, the conference. It was really nice. I was finally speaking on a topic I was passionate about (and therefore I know the most about - literally. There is not a person living who knows more on the subject of the history of the Chinese in Colorado than me. Sounds cool, but really, its a niche. Like most history. Anyway...) and I loved it. I probably obsessed over my presentation a little more than was necessary because it went really well. The rest of my panel were all professors of Asian History (who were also Chinese) but my presentation did not stand out as amateur among theirs. It was awesome.

This actually felt like a nice goodbye to my time in academia. I will never stop loving history, the study or the research of it, but I won't be writing it again for some time. I think graduation would have been a nice ceremony to go to, but it would have been short with my name being called, a little walk, and thats it. I am glad I chose this experience over graduation. I look forward to when I might attend conferences in the future - and maybe I will even catch one while I am overseas. Who knows what might happen.

<Once I figure out how to upload pictures I will post some of the conference, Seattle, and Vancouver - they were all awesome>

Now that I am home I feel a little odd. It reminds me of when we were waiting to hear about the FAA position for Scott. We knew a big change was coming, but out lives were kind of suspended as we waited for it. In that case, we didn't even know the date until about a month before. At least I had two and half months to prepare for this. But now that its only two months left I still feel like I have so much to do and yet nothing I can do until I get more information.

I am currently waiting on a packet that will contain my salary offer as well as other important paperwork about moving and so on. I was hoping the packet would come last week and now I am hoping it will come this week. Something tells me I may be hoping the same thing next week. Once this packet with the salary offer comes I feel like this will finally all be real. But perhaps not. Maybe it won't be real until I am sitting in a room, dressed in a suit I just bought with heels that hurt my feet, being welcomed into a new job and lifestyle with an overwhelming about of information thrown at me. Yes, that seems most likely.

And now, I must get to the Cheesebarn. The cheese is not going to slice itself.

Lost in the blogs...

Instead of spending my time working on my speech for next week I spent last night and this morning reading blog after blog of different Foreign Service Officers. I have spent a considerable amount of time with this amazing list of Flag Day experiences (http://www.travelorders.com/flag-day-stories/) so now that is all I can think about.

I was really shocked when I got the e-mail about the Foreign Service this past April. I took the Oral Assessment in September 2010 (I honestly cannot recall when I took the written test, but it might have been February of that same year), and I was excited about passing for probably two months, then the examiner did my background check and I was excited again. In January 2011 I got a letter saying I had been added to the register, but my score was relatively low that I figured I would never be called so I never even checked my ranking on the Consular Register. I kept checking the Yahoo group for a few months but I was pretty sure I was at least 100 people away from being called, so when my husband was offered a government job I stopped checking it completely around the fall of 2011.

Fast forward to April 2012. We have moved across the country for Scott's new job, I just started a new job and am a single class period away from completing my master's degree in history. The morning before my last class I wake up to an e-mail from the Registrar's Office....and I am in utter shock.

I was staying in my parent's house in Colorado so after running upstairs to announce it to my mom I had to call Scott, who was thankfully already awake back in Ohio. I finished my class and we said we would discuss it seriously when I returned home. A long and serious conversation, which this was sure to be, is not a good idea over the phone. I was back in Ohio by Sunday and we had until Thursday to accept or decline the offer. After a lot of talking, thought, and prayer we knew we had the right decision. Foreign Service here I come!

I am still a little in shock. We talk about it everyday now and every hour I have some new piece of information to offer Scott about A-100 class, living overseas, etc. I figure he will tire of it at some point but right now I simply cannot get enough information.

But seriously, that speech is not going to write itself....