Thunderstorms

We're having thunderstorms here tonight in Falls Church.

They are glorious!  We've been standing on our balcony and watching the lightning and counting until the crashing thunder.  All the time listening and dancing to Dynamite and Halo and Landslide.  Good stuff.

As O. says - it's great to watch the trees dancing in the wind to the storm.

To Dog or Not To Dog

My daughter has been wanting a dog for a long time.  She's very maternal and family oriented (currently she wants 12 kids when she grows up - 6 boys and 6 girls!!). 

At one point we told her that she could have a dog when she turned 9.  Then we began exploring joining the Foreign Service and moved the dog issue to the back burner.  I had many conversations with her where I told her that we just couldn't have a dog in the Foreign Service.  I figure that moving around the world every few years with two kids is involved enough.  When you add pets into the mix, you need to deal with a variety of transportation issues, housing issues, quarantine issues and then what if we were evacuated?!

But this past weekend we went to a training for Families Overseas.  It was a great training - I highly recommend it.  There was information for parents and age-appropriate information for the kids.  There was a another family there who is heading to the same country we are and announced that they are getting a dog.  Our cover was blown!

We also met another family who told us how their son's overseas transitions had been really benefited from having his best friend - his dog - with him during all the changes.  My son has made the transition to Virginia quite well - within a few days of being here, everyone seemed to know him and he now has a posse that he runs around with.  My daughter has had a harder time with the transition - she really misses her friends back home.

So we began to think about it a lot more.  We haven't made a firm decision yet, but it's looking like it might happen.

The A-100 Five

You've heard of the Freshman Fifteen?  We'll there's also the A-100 Five.

Luckily, A-100 is only 6 weeks or so because it could easily become the A-100 Ten if it continued.

It's pretty hard to stay with your good routines and habits during A-100.  You've moved to a new location; you don't have all your stuff; you don't know where the grocery stores are and you certainly don't have time to cook.

Add to this very long, intense days ( I left the house at 7 AM and didn't get home until 6 PM - and that's when I came straight home).  So, it's hard to find gym / exercise time as well - much less time for the important people in your life.

And then there are all the Happy Hours.  An important goal of A-100 is building "esprit de corps."  This translates into many, many activities.  And if you've a class that's anything like my Vibrant class, it means lots of truly fabulous activities with some really interesting people.  In addition to all the Happy Hours, we've had Trivia Night, Card and Pizza Night, Sunday BBQ's, Rock Climbing, Korean BBQ  and Karaoke, Cigar Night, Ethnic Food Night - you get the picture.

I was doing fine until we had our offsite.  Then there were 2 days in West Virginia where were served a different style of food than I'm used to.  It's what pushed me over the edge.

So - now A-100 is over and I've been able to settle into a more balanced pace and lifestyle.  It's so nice to be able to establish my routines again - morning yoga, healthier eating, more relaxed time with my family.

Swearing-In

Today the members of the Vibrant 160th got sworn in.

I do solemnly swear

That I will support and defend

The Constitution of the United States

Against all enemies foreign and domestic,

That I will bear true faith

and allegiance to the same,

That I take this obligation freely,

Without any mental reservation

or purpose of evasion,

and that I will well and faithfully

Discharge the duties of the Office

on which I am about to enter,

So help me God.

Pretty powerful stuff.

We've completed six weeks of orientation where we were introduced to the profession of diplomacy, among other things, by some pretty wonderful and skillful coordinators.  On Monday we will head off on our separate ways getting additional trainings and preparing for posts all over the world.

And it's also Foreign Affairs Day - very serendipitous.

Congratulations to my colleagues in the Vibrant 160th!

Flag Day

So - we had our Flag Day.

That whole week we were all pretty antsy.  It's hard to stay focused when you're just a few short days from finding out where you'll be spending the following years; how long you'll be in training; what language you might be learning; how your family will feel; whether you'll be in a warm place or a cold place; mountains or beaches or desert or jungle; whether you'll need to order a year's supply of olive oil / toilet paper / cheerios; what you'll actually be doing for your job - the list goes on.

Many of us got up early that morning to watch the Royal Wedding.  Many others couldn't sleep and thus ended up watching the Royal Wedding for a distraction (me).  Finally it was time to go to FSI.

The A-100 coordinators had done a great job of planning the schedule.  They knew that on this day - Flag Day - our attention spans would be very short.  They had planned an offsite that took our minds off the end of the day and was quite fascinating.  We all had a great time.

Finally it was time.  I collected my family at the Visitor's Center and proceeded to the auditorium where we'd find out.  I got them settled in the front row of the guest section.  The kids had brought things to do.  I gave them their special coloring book that the Overseas Briefing Center prepares for kids.  They also got the same bingo sheet that we all got.  Country bingo is a traditional Flag Day activity.  Various countries are listed on the bingo card and you mark them off as they're called.

I found my moral support buddies and we got good seats in the rear so we could watch everyone.  I made sure my phone had reception so that I could text my family the results when the time came.

There was a slight (felt like a long time) delay while we waited for our last VIP to arrive.  Then, the CDO's entered bearing the three special holders with all the flags for our countries.

First, the country's flag appears on the screen and we all try to guess which country it is.  A fabulous classmate had made us a cheat sheet with all the countries and their flags listed.  Then the post and position are announced and then the FSO's name.  There's lots of cheering each time.

It was all very overwhelming.  I tried to keep up with my bingo sheet and to mark which posts my colleagues where getting, but I found myself not being able to pay attention and be in the zen of the moment.  So I just let it all go and enjoyed the experience.  Colleague after colleague got called and went up to get their flags.  It all felt unreal.  I thought I'd get to see all my new friends get their posts and that I'd just sit and watch and then go home with no post.

Finally, one of my top posts got called and I heard my name.  Everyone knew it was super high on my list and they all cheered.  I went up and got my flag and got my picture taken with the Ambassador.  Then I collected my orders and looked for my family as I went to sit down.  They were very happy with our new post - Recife, Brazil!

I didn't hear the next few posts as I was still reeling from the experience.  Eventually I surfaced and got to cheer on the rest of my colleagues as they got their posts.  At one point, I heard K. call out Bingo!  I knew it was at O.'s direction.

Afterwards we all went to a nearby restaurant where we celebrated and congratulated each other.  The CDO's had done a great job - most of us had ended up in places we were happy with or that we understood why we were there.

All in all a good day.