tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66931089281823731602024-03-13T07:36:47.158-07:00Adamson RoadKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-80965403305888675762014-02-22T17:48:00.001-08:002014-02-22T17:48:22.575-08:00These Past Several MonthsIt has been a busy few months! <div><br></div><div>Cantonese language training continues. Some days are more difficult than others but most days I still can't believe this is what I get to do everyday. It's really amazing, but so challenging. </div><div><br></div><div>In other news, we're having a baby! That has made the language learning that much more fun (baby brain is no joke. The number of things I forget these days is staggering). </div><div><br></div><div>So quick recap:</div><div>November was nice. We weren't able to go home for Thanksgiving but we were able to spend it with friends here in DC. Scott also made a turkey for the first time and it turned out great. Sadly, the pregnancy has really affected my appetite and I couldn't eat any of the leftovers :( </div><div><br></div><div>December was chilly. This winter in DC has been rough (compared to the past two years at least when it hardly snowed). I lost count of the number of "snow days" I've had off work, and winter isn't even over. We also spent Christmas here with just the two of us and the dogs (our last as just a couple!). I was able to go to Colorado for a few days between Christmas and New Years which was nice. Scott wasn't able to get off work to go which was too bad </div><div><br></div><div>January was also chilly. More than chilly, ridiculously cold is more correct. As for New Years, it was the first time since I was a child that I didn't make it midnight. I fell asleep in our new rocker/recliner (baby-related purchase) and Scott woke me up at midnight. Yup, this baby is not even here yet and I'm already pretty lame. Haha. Scott was supposed to go to Colorado for a quick visit but his parents ended up using the tickets to come see us instead, which was nice. </div><div><br></div><div>As nice as things have been, the pregnancy has not been an easy road. Almost since we first found out we were expecting there has been one complication or another. It's a long story that I will post another time. But even with all these issues our baby boy is healthy and strong and might be gracing us with his presence soon!</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-48244345089606859872013-10-07T14:35:00.001-07:002013-10-07T14:35:42.060-07:00Language TrainingOnly about a month into language training at this point, but so far things are going well. <div><br></div><div>My class consists of me and one other person from the Dept of Defense (yeah, Cantonese is not a super popular language). We are in class 5 hours a day and have two teachers, one teaches the morning and one in the afternoon. The other hours of the day are reserved for language lab and self-study. </div><div><br></div><div>So far, everything is pretty great. My classmate and teachers are all fun people and I really enjoy the hours spent in class. It is challenging to find the motivation to study sometimes but that's just part of 'school.' </div><div><br></div><div>I want to say more but all life consists of at the moment is language class and hanging at home. Life is grand but pretty routine right now :)</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-77130500131851540222013-09-14T05:31:00.001-07:002013-09-14T05:31:45.789-07:00Finally Fall!Today is the first time it's felt like fall and it makes me so excited I can barely stop smiling. I had to wear a jacket to take the dogs out this morning and I'm planning on going for a stroll around DC this evening because I get to do so while wearing a hoodie!<div><br></div><div>Fall also means that I am now in language training full time. I've had two and weeks of class and so far it's going well. It is also ridiculously intimidating and I have no idea how I'm going to pass a fluency test in 7 months. But my classmate is great and my teachers are great so even if its a grueling seven months, it should at least be fun. </div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-82889190130749788002013-08-16T16:02:00.001-07:002013-08-16T16:02:21.267-07:00One Year Post-Flag DayOne year ago, on a warm Friday afternoon, I was handed a Washington, D.C. flag and learned I'd be staying in Washington for my first assignment. It was not at all what I expected and I was sure it would be a tough year.<br />
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Today, on a warm Friday evening, I left my office after fond farewells with two bags full of stuff that I had to take home. I nearly cried because it has been such an incredible year with such incredible people and I was not ready to leave.<br />
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I am so thankful that this was my first assignment in the Foreign Service. I have learned so much, but my biggest takeaway is that sometimes the thing you think you don't want is going to be the best thing for you. I am looking forward to the next step (long-term language training!) and I hope my future tours are as awesome as this one. I have the distinct feeling they will be :)Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-66592675726937637522013-08-11T16:13:00.000-07:002013-08-11T16:13:05.849-07:00the silly pastI've had a couple of other blogs in the past, but last week, to my surprise, I found one I had completely forgotten about. I started it in 2004 (nearly ten years already!) and I posted on it as recently as 2010 but for some reason I hadn't thought it about it years.<div>
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I can't believe some of the stuff I used to put on there and that I left all of it public. As I was going through changing the privacy settings I was rereading all of the things I used to write about. It was like reading a diary (something I've never bothered to keep in real life) and sometimes I was so vague even I didn't know what I was referring to.</div>
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If facebook had been as big back then as it is now I would have been one of those girls that posts angst-filled, vague statuses and then refuse to explain anything. Thank goodness I can hide all my past absurdity behind privacy settings. But maybe I'll read these posts again someday and think the same thing. Hopefully not...</div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-38769392328201872462013-06-30T18:22:00.002-07:002013-06-30T18:22:41.316-07:00Rebellious Apartment PeopleI may have mentioned before that the building our apartment is in is an enclosed area so that is almost feels like a community sometimes. Its the first time I've lived in a place like this where I run into the same people in the halls and the elevator and see them around the property (its a big property; gated, with three buildings, two dog runs, a park, a pools, two gyms, etc.)<br />
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After living here for about 10 months I have come to a conclusion about my building - we are the troublemakers in the eyes of management. And better than that, my wing of the building houses the real rebels.<br />
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(A quick note important for these stories: the air conditioning system in our building is centrally run and is connected to all the other units in the building. They have to all be on cool or all on hot. Its weird, but thats the way it is)<br />
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Earlier this year, during the transition from chilly days to warm ones, the management put out a notice that although they knew the forecast was for 80+ degrees (possibly the low 90s), they were not going to turn on the air conditioning for at least the next three days because it might cool down again. They put a notice under everyone's door and pasted one in every elevator. The notice in the elevator in our wing soon contained my building-mate's feelings.<br />
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Writing with many different pens soon appeared. The comments ranged from mild profanity to organized group calling of the front desk to voice our displeasure. The sign was eventually torn down, reposted and finally removed by the management. Much to our surprise, the A/C was turned on the next day. The people had triumphed! (And it never got cool again).<br />
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A couple months later (again when the temperature was supposed to be in the 90s), we got a notice that the A/C had broken and it was going to take a couple days to fix. But its ok, according to the notice, the A/C in the gym on the top floor would still be on.<br />
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As you can guess, the apartment rebels in our wing were not pleased. Notes were written all over the notice in the elevator on our side (in the other two elevators...nothing was written). We may or may not have added our feelings to the paper. Surprise, surprise, the air conditioning was fixed the same day.<br />
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After these two events, people realized this was an effective means to get things accomplished in the building. Soon after another note appeared in our elevator, this time from a fellow rebel. They were displeased with the knocking and pounding that seemed to take place at all ours of the day in one of the apartments in our wing. (I knew exactly what they were talking about and am pretty sure the culprit is the apartment right above ours. Seriously, it sounds like a wood shop or something up there all the time). Again, people agreed, organized calling to the front office, and the culprit is only rarely heard from these days. Very effective.<br />
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This week the management is having with the A/C again, so laminated notices about keeping windows closed have appeared in the elevators. Guess which elevator there is not a notice in?<br />
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Apparently we are in the rebel section of the building that cannot be trusted with a notice in the elevator and they've laminated the other ones to stop the rebellion from spreading. I like it. We'll see how long they can keep us down....Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-59841463031663713842013-06-21T15:08:00.001-07:002013-06-21T15:08:03.252-07:00Less than 2 monthsIn about seven weeks my first tour as a Foreign Service Officer will be complete. <div><br></div><div>That seems both far away and so close at the same time. A number of people I've met while working in the Department are finishing their current tours and moving on. Some are headed to different offices in the building; others are going straight overseas (domestic tours don't get home leave); still others are like me, they will be headed to long-term training. I am really excited about the final group. </div><div><br></div><div>While I have been learning the ins and outs of being a desk officer over the last year, most of my A-100 classmates have been in long-term language training together. </div><div><br></div><div>At first I was bummed to be missing out on getting to know all of them better. They would see each other in the halls or the lunchroom, some even had class together. While they had each other I was in an environment where people had friends all over the building, while I could name the people I knew on one hand. I was worried that when I finally went to training I would be on my own there as well, since all my classmates will have moved on to their overseas postings. </div><div><br></div><div>Now as I approach my training, I am looking forward to it not just because I'm thrilled to learn a new language, but also because I want to get to know all my current co-workers better. </div><div><br></div><div>Almost everyday I find out someone else I work with now will be at FSI with me for the next year. As much as I wish I would have had all that extra time to get to know my A-100 classmates better, I am really looking forward to learning about my colleagues outside of the work place. It's going to be another fun year. </div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-37866621911015232382013-06-14T17:44:00.002-07:002013-06-14T17:44:47.695-07:00GoodEvery Friday I get an "End of Week" report from our Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste detailing the events of that week; programs that started, events the Ambassador or other officers attended, the status of bilateral issues, etc. This week there was a domestic violence awareness event. Men of Timor-Leste walked through the streets wearing <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.584630911559059.1073741859.116727735016048&type=1">shirts</a> that said something to the effect of "Real Men Don't Hit Women" and were sponsored by the U.S. Embassy.<br />
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There was also a note about an agricultural project that USAID is working on to help Timorese farmers diversify their crops and start selling produce so they can earn an income. Last week there was a note about a project to help pregnant mothers living in rural areas get medical advice and prenatal care.<br />
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There were so many reasons I wanted to join the State Department, and this was one of the biggest. There are a lot of negative things in the news right now about the Department and the U.S. government in general, but today I was overwhelmed by how much good there is. There are so many people, like myself, who want to help the world and serve our country at the same time.<br />
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From my desk in Washington I help move these projects along and get them the attention they need but I can't wait to get out there and be the person working with the kids who want to learn English so they can get a scholarship to study in the U.S. I want to help a couple get a passport for their newly adopted baby. I want to help parents find the child they fear has gone missing in a foreign country. I want to get a new project started that helps people out of poverty.<br />
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Yeah, there is going to be bad. But you can't let the bad outweigh the good because there is so much good.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-73447538401170721182013-05-10T19:04:00.001-07:002013-05-10T19:04:46.034-07:00Rushing Headlong into the FutureWhen I was a kid I was always excited for the future. I wanted to be older, grown-up, getting to do things like drive a car and go to high school (and then go to college) and then be an FBI agent or whatever crazy thing I thought I wanted to be that day. I was always excited for the next thing and it didn't matter what it was.<br />
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Apparently I have not changed at all in this respect.<br />
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People always say you should savor the time you have, but I have never really understood how to do that. I can't stop time or hold on to anything for any longer than I can move past the moments I'm done with.<br />
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The last couple years have flown by. Like, in a ridiculously fast way. When we first moved to Ohio, I thought we were going to spend years ago. I called people, got involved in the historical society (I was the youngest person by 30 years, they were so excited to have me), got involved in a church, found a house I really liked; I had plans to stay. A mere four months later, I had plans to leave.<br />
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I wasn't think about rushing into the future while we were there. I expected we'd live there between three and five years, so I was digging in. Now I find that I really miss our time there. It was a quiet and pleasant life. I wonder if part of my fondness is the peace of mind I had while I lived there and that fact that maybe I was savoring that moment, even though I didn't even realize it.<br />
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Now, I am once again trying to rush into the future. Don't get me wrong, what I am doing right now is really great. Sometimes I can't believe they let me work on these issues and talk to Ambassadors and foreign dignitaries. But I cannot wait for what is next. In a few short months my first tour will be over and I will be heading into long-term language training at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. I am so looking forward to that.<br />
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But even once I'm in training, I will want to rush into what is next: finally going overseas for the State Department. I want to hurry my way out to post and get to the consulate and learn my new job and be totally overwhelmed again like I was when I started this tour.<br />
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I can't stop wanting to rush to the next thing. And I imagine I am going to be feeling this way a lot in a career where you move every few years.<br />
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-66591215452473209382013-04-28T11:12:00.001-07:002013-04-28T13:14:36.107-07:00One year ago todayOn April 27, 2012 I woke up in my parent's basement in a room without windows (I called it the "dungeon;" truth is, I prefer it over the adjoining room because I like to sleep in total darkness). I was in Colorado because I was finishing my last class for my master's degree; Scott was still in Ohio because we'd moved there in January. It was a Friday morning and the next day was my very last classroom session for my degree. I was headed back to Ohio on Sunday afternoon.<br />
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I grabbed my phone, as I do most mornings, and checked my email. And there was an email from the Department of State. I was invited to be in the July A-100 class for the Foreign Service. I was in shock. I had stopped paying attention to the Foreign Service message boards months ago and I knew I was going to expire off the register in July. In the back of my mind, I always thought it would be nice to hear from them, but I had honestly given up hope.<br />
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Here I am a year later. I live in Washington, D.C. and I am a few months away from finishing my first assignment (first tour DC positions are only one year tours). I've met former Secretary Clinton (on more than one occasion) and now Secretary Kerry. I've visited Timor-Leste and Indonesia as a representative of the United States, places I never thought I would see. I got to bid farewell the Ambassador from Timor-Leste at a reception at Blair House (its an awesome place - http://blairhouse.org). Soon I may be working on the credentials for a new Ambassador from Timor-Leste as well as preparing our Ambassador to Timor.<br />
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If you had asked me on April 26th how the next year was going to look, it would have included a lot of discussion about rural Ohio and looking into how to get a teaching job out there. Now, my coming year includes learning a language I know little about (Cantonese) and preparing to move to Asia.<br />
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It all just keeps getting better and better. I can't imagine what two years from now will look like. <br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NsoKA-oDJOI/UX2DED85PrI/AAAAAAAAASQ/RlLnrVuThpw/s640/blogger-image-190377665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NsoKA-oDJOI/UX2DED85PrI/AAAAAAAAASQ/RlLnrVuThpw/s640/blogger-image-190377665.jpg" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-13319611949663891172013-04-13T04:32:00.001-07:002013-04-14T08:12:37.691-07:00Favorite ThingsDo you know why you like your favorite things? Like your favorite color, why is it your favorite color? <br />
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I don't really have a favorite color but when I was a kid and someone would ask I would usually say "seafoam green, cerulean blue, and daffodil yellow" because I had three crayons and that is what was written on their sides. And those three colors looked the best together. Silly childhood memories. <br />
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One memory I've been thinking of a lot lately is why my favorite flower is my favorite. Spring has come to DC (also a little bit of summer, in April...) and my favorite flower is all over the place. I love it. Daffodils in all different colors and styles are everywhere. <br />
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Why the daffodil? It's not because of the crayon, although this might be why I liked that crayon. It's because of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I used to watch it all the time when I was young, (the original one with Gene Wilder, not this crazy technicolor one with Johnny Depp) and it was so magical. I wanted wallpaper I could lick. I wanted gum that was a whole meal (I'm still holding out hope on that one). I wanted everything in that factory. <br />
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There is a scene when the kids are exploring on their own for the first time and Wonka sings a little song while he strolls around. At one point he picks a daffodil and pops the top off and drinks from it like a teacup with a saucer still in his hand. And then he bites the flower like its a biscuit. For some reason, I loved this. And daffodils have been my favorite flower ever since. <br />
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I am not sure I could give reasons as to why all of my favorite things are my favorite, but the idea that a daffodil could also be tasty treats makes it my favorite. <br />
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-71242763786144889192013-04-07T14:08:00.001-07:002013-04-07T14:08:43.628-07:00Road to RecoveryIt has been a tense couple of days but MeiLi is slowly getting better. Today she brought me a toy but she wouldn't fetch it. Maybe tomorrow. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tC8lA2B5eH0/UWHgWsmqM5I/AAAAAAAAARY/_oB3MUL-MSo/s640/blogger-image-256426455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tC8lA2B5eH0/UWHgWsmqM5I/AAAAAAAAARY/_oB3MUL-MSo/s640/blogger-image-256426455.jpg" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-8620608674321393362013-04-05T18:22:00.001-07:002013-04-05T18:22:40.342-07:00How fast things can changeShocking really, how fast things can change. It takes no time at all.<br />
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A post or two below this one is a picture of my dog, MeiLi, in the bathtub. She's round and happy and stuck, but she's healthy. That picture is so recent. But if I took a picture of her right now, you would see a completely different dog.<br />
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Last night MeiLi was seizing and lolling her head back with a completely vacant look in her eyes. She had no idea who I was, where she was, nothing. It was awful.<br />
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On Saturday, MeiLi was pretty ill. She was having tremors and extending her legs all the way out and throwing up all her food. She has been sick before, but it was the stiff legs and shaking that really concerned me. By Sunday she was a little improved, but still not her old self. We kept saying, "If she's not better by tomorrow..." then we would take her to a vet. Each day she seemed a little better and by Wednesday she was back to her old self. When I came home from work we played and she ran around (still didn't want to walk very far outside, but she's always been more of an "indoor" dog). I was relieved. The dogs get sick, but they always get over it; it never lasts very long. Except, she didn't eat. I should have noticed that.<br />
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Yesterday, she deteriorated fast. She got sick three times and still hadn't eaten anything. Scott picked me up from work and we took her to the vet. They checked her out and diagnosed her with motion sickness, mentioned other possible problems, and sent us on our way. They noted she only weighed six lbs., a full two lbs. less than she normally weighs. In a tiny dog, thats a big deal. But I figured that was it. Glad we took her in.<br />
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Six hours later a different dog, the one I mentioned in the beginning, was the dog I was holding in my arms. I was just trying to keep her head pointed the right way and I clutched her little body to me each time she seized up. At 11:30pm we headed to a 24-hour urgent care, got lost on the way there (a super frustrating extra ten minutes that felt like an eternity) and handed frail MeiLi over to be put into ICU.<br />
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Difficult hours and hundreds of dollars later we learn she would have died in mere hours had we not brought her in. Her glucose was 24. I don't know medical things, but that is really bad. Really, really bad. That is what was causing her seizing. They found out she has Addison's disease, which is something we will have to treat for the rest of her life. It also makes her very susceptible to problems in stressful situations, which is not ideal when you belong to a Foreign Service Officer.<br />
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I always had a little bit of pride in the way our dogs handle moves. In the last couple years we moved four times and they were troopers every time. The drive across the country, no big deal. They settled perfectly in the car and then made the drive from DC to Ohio a number of times too. But Addison's is a genetic disorder than manifests right around the age MeiLi is now. And now we are going to have to examine what situations, like moving around the world, might bring on stress and prepare her with medications.<br />
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We are moving to Hong Kong in 2014. But MeiLi is not. It would be too hard on her. We wouldn't be able to medicate her properly and the stress of flying in cargo alone for 14+ hours and then being in quarantine in Hong Kong for 4 months would be too much. We had already decided that they were not coming, but I was holding out a little bit of hope. Maybe something would change and it would be easier and more humane to get them there. But this just clenches it. For the foreseeable future, the United States is the only country MeiLi will ever live in. And that breaks my heart just a little bit.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-65639801742549320382013-03-14T17:54:00.001-07:002013-03-14T17:54:49.434-07:00Exciting TimesI feel like if there is any word I overuse, it is probably exciting. But there are just so many exciting things going on and that have been going on for over a year. I am constantly excited about the future, so I just keep expressing it with the same word! Perhaps I need to invest in a thesaurus.<br />
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Anyway, things have been exciting! Non-stop, as always.<br />
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With work: I sent out my first cable today! Like, the first cable that has my name as the drafter. And people actually have to read it and carry out some meetings based on it. Thats exciting.<br />
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With home: Scott has finally moved here! I walk around all day every day with a silly smile on my face because I know that when I go home the house won't be empty. And for the next few weeks we have the same schedule, which is so exciting.<br />
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With the future: We are headed to Hong Kong! I didn't think we were going to get our first choice (again) but we did. I am thrilled. We are thrilled. But honestly, I would be excited to be going almost anywhere. The world is a fascinating place and I can't wait to experience all of it.<br />
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In short: life is exciting.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-34380534620519449912013-02-23T19:05:00.001-08:002013-02-23T19:41:32.109-08:00Silly DogsOne of the joys of owning animals is when they things they do make you laugh.<br />
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Lately, MeiLi gets stuck in the bathtub. It's a shallow tub and both dogs used to jump in and out at will. But last week I heard whining coming from the bathroom and there was MeiLi, in the tub, little dog prints around the edge where she'd tried to get out but hadn't been able to. Since then she's been stuck a half dozen more times and I've had to help her out. I don't know if this happens when I'm not home and she just sucks it up and jumps out or what. I might be enabling her by helping her out when I'm home. <br />
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Funnier than this, however, is when the dogs put themselves to bed. During the week I go to bed pretty early and they either get in their kennel or on the bed (if Scott is not here) and we go to sleep. On the weekend I stay up considerably later, but the dogs expect their schedule. I go in and find MeiLi already in her kennel, settled down for the night. There is rarely any fuss about getting in bed, but it makes me laugh when they just do it themselves. <br />
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Even as I write this...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HocAPMhEj2g/USmDdo0BI7I/AAAAAAAAARA/jlsefFN3j74/s640/blogger-image--589823774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HocAPMhEj2g/USmDdo0BI7I/AAAAAAAAARA/jlsefFN3j74/s640/blogger-image--589823774.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuck in the tub....again...</td></tr>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-8454052925527620782013-02-16T17:06:00.000-08:002013-02-16T17:06:28.605-08:00Breaking NewsOn the "where are we going next" front, we have news. Well, a little news. So Wuhan, China is not our destination for sure. I found out last week officially that my assignment was broken. I had heard of this happening to other people before and in the back of my mind I felt like until we arrived I wouldn't feel like it was for sure. Clearly I was spot on with that one.<br />
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So after I found out the assignment was broken, as I mentioned before, I didn't have a lot of information about what comes next. I talked to my Career Development Officer and she said that they could offer me a full list of all the positions available in the world (yeah, the WORLD. This is the kind of awesomeness I get to choose from) but after looking at my preferences from the last time I bid she guessed I would end up bidding on all China posts high. I told her she was right and could save us both the time; her searching to see what was available and me feeling like I needed to look into all the places on the list.<br />
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So here was my list: Hong Kong, Beijing, or Guangzhou. Not a bad option among them. We get to go to China and we get to go in 2014. We talked debated and submitted our preferences for which one we would prefer over the others. This coming week we should find out where we are headed.<br />
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While this may not seem like a big deal ("you're still headed to China, how different are the cities?"), its a pretty big adjustment when thinking about our future. Wuhan was more "rural"than these three cities. While it still has a population larger than most major American cities, it is very non-Western. So non-Western that we would have been able to bring a shipment of consumables (any non-perishable foods and other items that we wanted to bring with us). Now we won't get that. Honestly, we were really excited about living in one of the most non-Western options when it comes to the locations of the U.S. consulates in China. Now we will be living in a place where there is a fair chance people speak English, or in the case of Hong Kong, everyone does. Either way, we are thrilled to be going back to China, but now we have to readjust our thinking on what life will be like there.<br />
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But hopefully, come Tuesday, we can start looking planning on life in a new locale!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-15832555191919838022013-02-10T09:56:00.001-08:002013-02-10T09:56:30.109-08:00LoveSometimes I am absolutely overwhelmed by the love I feel for my husband. Like how am I even capable of feeling that kind of love for someone is beyond me. And then to imagine that God loves us even more than that? It's unfathomable. Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-36081535553184700872013-02-06T15:57:00.001-08:002013-02-06T16:34:14.716-08:00Silliness of the day6 1/2 years later, we are finally using the last of the leftover napkins from our wedding. This is what happens when your in-law's family owns a print shop. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-POOcgpNBxeQ/URLt1auFG3I/AAAAAAAAAQs/fo7-uLO3MV0/s640/blogger-image-2067236941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-POOcgpNBxeQ/URLt1auFG3I/AAAAAAAAAQs/fo7-uLO3MV0/s640/blogger-image-2067236941.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very last Wedding napkin...I can't bring myself to just clean up a mess with it....</td></tr>
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In other news, work in DC has been amazing. I've been able to work on interesting projects and meet fascinating people. I can't go into all of it, but eventually I'll get into some of it. <br />
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I don't think I ever mentioned where I was headed after my DC tour was over. I bid again last October and was assigned to Wuhan, China. I was supposed to be headed there in summer 2014. If the past tense of this paragraph hasn't tipped you off then let me make it clear: I am no longer going to Wuhan. I found out accidentally on Monday and officially today. No word yet on what the future holds for us, but it's not Wuhan, China. <br />
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-77703107643084046562012-12-22T16:15:00.001-08:002012-12-22T16:15:32.623-08:00Christmastime is hereA year ago...<div>
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. </div>
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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.</div>
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This year...</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Merry Christmas </div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-46088587283535336992012-12-02T12:28:00.001-08:002013-04-13T04:48:56.422-07:00Timor-Leste ContinuedBack to where we were. Timor-Leste was a great experience.<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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I had the opportunity to visit a coffee cooperative high in the mountainous jungle and a police station in the valley below.<br />
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(I tried to upload pictures but failed. Technology has outsmarted me again).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-7329111945775951992012-10-30T08:27:00.001-07:002012-10-30T08:27:04.778-07:00Hurricane SandyOne 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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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But for now, I'll keep cleaning and cooking. Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-82678283019883127092012-10-28T19:44:00.000-07:002012-10-28T19:44:21.759-07:00Dili, Timor-Leste and the presentAs "Frankenstorm" begins to bear down on the Northeast, let me describe what it was like to be in sunny, tropical Timor-Leste.<br />
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September 29th - Leaving Singapore and Arriving in Dili<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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...)<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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September 30th -<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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...<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-63231161182500320902012-10-20T08:37:00.002-07:002012-10-20T08:37:40.769-07:00Unfortunate AnniversaryToday 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-47446331173499752832012-10-20T08:31:00.002-07:002013-04-13T04:50:12.012-07:00Contrary 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.<br />
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Even now, there are so many things I want to say but I am not sure where to begin.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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I shall begin with the preparation...<br />
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September 26th -<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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September 27th -<br />
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...<br />
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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.<br />
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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 <i>Brave</i> 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!<br />
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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...).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Next time on the blog...<br />
Read about my flight and first days in Dili, Timor-Leste!<br />
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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.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6693108928182373160.post-71121687263700728232012-09-22T14:06:00.001-07:002013-04-13T04:49:51.415-07:00I 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.<br />
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But there have been fun adventures the last few weeks!!<br />
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428578337359750454noreply@blogger.com2