Where to Next?

On May 26 the second tour list opened. We quickly narrowed the possibilities down to 216 posts. This was maybe half of those available. The world is literally open to us. How can we narrow down so many possibilities? This is especially difficult for people who plan to travel the world for the rest of their lives.

On his second tour Spencer is required to do a Consular tour and a language tour. In order to reach tenure, first and second tour officers must gain a 3/3 in a language and do a consular tour. Why a language? This is the Foreign Service, contribute or leave. The consular part is a little more ambiguous. It may be that Consular work, which includes passports, visas, and American services is the foundation of the Foreign Service and so everyone must do it. Or maybe because this work is not that interesting to many who want something more flashy like financial reporting (gag!), so it is a requirement. Either way, it is Spencer's turn. 

Years ago when Spencer and I were moving around the country we came up with a spreadsheet to rank prospective sites. This has served us well over the years. It eliminates the passion that sometimes clouds sound judgement. The spreadsheet includes rankings for schools, pets, job prospects for me, size of post, house hold help, location, ease of travel, danger, etc. The categories listed are what is important to us. There is some intuition and passion involved. We do not research and list every post. There are some that we just know we don't want to go to. Once the numbers are in, we then subjectively rank within the scores. The highest score was a 21, the lowest score to make the final list was an 8. There were lots in the 21-18 range. This system has worked for us. It helps us see cities with promise, that we didn't think much of before. It also helps keep in check wild ambitions for places that are not a good fit. Ever since I saw Vienna on the list I have been in love. Prague is, of course, my personal second choice.

Next we eliminated those with imperfect timing. Timing is important to consider. If we leave post in July, then we need to plan for enough time for training, requirements, and home leave before starting the next job. So Spanish speaking posts starting in August just will not work. 

We entered most of the posts into the spreadsheet, researched and entered numbers. We shook the computer, threw darts at printouts, talked to friends, talked to an Ambassador who had served in all of our top posts, prayed, begged, and sometimes argued. Spencer was required to turn in 30. We decided to turn in 33, because our choices were popular. The Foreign Service does not guarantee any of them, but does try to place officers in a post that fits personal criteria. 

Spencer submitted his list June 26, one month after the list came out. Rumors spread that the letter would come out Friday. Then there was the rumor about today. HOLD THE PRESSES!!!!!!!  Spencer just called. We got #2 on the list.............. Москва́ June 2014.

A Year in Lesotho

Exactly a year ago today, Cary and Ted and Josephine and I arrived here in Lesotho on this great adventure.  After almost 48 hours of travel, including more than 8000 miles on 3 airplanes, and a night in the nicest hotel room I have ever stayed in, we got to our new home at around 10:30 am.  The drive from the Bloemfontain airport to the border is beautiful, and the color and the landscape reminded me of southern Utah.

My first impression was that it was way colder that I expected.  It was winter here when we arrived, but I had always assumed there was no such thing as real winter in Africa.  It also didn't help that we were leaving DC at the height of the hottest June on record, so the cold was particularly hard to deal with.  That and we didn't have hot water for most of the first month which was simply brutal.

In the year since we arrived here at our first Foreign Service post, I have learned a great deal about Lesotho, about the State Department, about expat living, and I have met some phenomenal people.  The expat community here is filled with friendly, smart, and talented people, which has made for a soft landing.  I recently described Maseru as a hardship post without too much of the hardship.  I think that about sums it up.  

All in all, it has been a good first year.

Christmas in Africa: Southern Africa, Maseru, Lesotho

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friends and family. We think of you often and fondly, even though we are thousands of miles away and seperated by spotty internet. There will be no postcards this year, so we will appreciate it if you direct those people who don't use internet often to this post.

Love to all,
Cary, Spencer, Teddy, and Josie

PS- There is sound; you will definitely want to hear Teddy vacuuming the porch and several off-key versions of "happy birthday". A special "thank you" to Amy for the suggestion.

HHE arrives

HHE arrived!! Okay, it arrived 3 weeks ago, but the furniture only arrived last week. We are still unpacking boxes. I can’t believe we shipped so much shit. 

Timeline:

UAB pack out June 6^th

HHE pack out June 21^st

UAB arrived July 15th 

HHE arrived August 23rd

Teddy helping the workers get his bed out of the box. He was very happy to have his bed back. We were very happy to have Josie’s crib too, but she still hasn’t slept in it. Probably won’t ever sleep in it again.

Counting down

Every day feels like a week and conversely, a minute. In order to keep myself on track I am adding a countdown clock. Enjoy.

Thank Codd Allnighty, It Is Here Atlass.

Flag Day, that is.  I can't believe it is Flag Day already.  After waiting 6 months that felt like a decade for A-100 to start, the last 4 weeks are a blur of powerpoint, happy hours, and empty Starbucks cups.  I would have liked to have updated the blog more, but A-100 is simply exhausting.  One of the coordinators described it as "drinking from a fire hose" which is an apt metaphor for how much information they give you every day.  It is going to take a few more weeks for my mind to process it all.  No promises, but I'll try to write up more about it in the coming weeks about what A-100 was like.

Anyway, Flag Day is here!

It is impossible not to be jacked-up about it.  In about 10 hours, we'll know where we are going next year, and when we are leaving.  The suspense is killing me.

Updated timeline

Since most of our calendar consists of events described as "tbd", we are in desperate need of concrete dates, times, and places. We have more dates! It feels so good to write that. Previously, we posted the timeline for the FS entry process. Listed here are the additions:

February 14, 2011 – A-100 starts

March 11, 2011 – Flag Day. 

March 18, 2011 – The last day of A-100 and Swearing In.

We will know nothing more until Flag Day. So please don't ask us where and when we are are going until this date. 

Foreign Service Application Timeline

From start to finish, the timeline varies greatly for foreign service applicants.  I lucked out this year, and I think my timeline is something close to a best case scenario.  I took the written test in March, and I will be entering an A-100 class less than a year later.  I guess having a fairly boring life makes the security clearance process go more smoothly.  It also helped that I gathered all of the same background information a few years ago to take the bar exam.  For these reasons, the security clearance only took 10 weeks.  I thank my lucky stars for this because I have read and heard some real horror stories.  A friend of mine said it took 18 months for his security clearance to go through.  Yikes!  I had drinks last night with two of the people that passed the oral with me on Aug 23rd, and neither of them have received their clearance yet.

I guess I should also note that this is my second attempt to get into the Foreign Service.  I took the written test last year, passed, and then just missed (5.2) on the oral.  Had I not come so close, I probably would not have tried again.  But being off by .05 seemed almost to challenge me to try again.  That and the fact that my car had been on the receiving end of a shootout in Petworth the night before while I was attending a community meeting for work.  Instead of going to bed early and getting a good night of sleep, there I was at midnight watching an evidence technician pull panels off my car looking for bullets.

 That is a big hole!  The cop told me it was a .45.

So try again I did, and this time the whole process seemed easier and shorter.  I got much higher scores on both the written and the oral, and now I am just waiting for the A-100 to start.  For all of you out there thinking of going through this process, definitely give yourself at least two chances.  I cannot overstate just how much more comfortable I was at the oral this year because of my experience last year. Night and day.

Anyway, here is my 2010 FS application timeline.

March 6, 2010 – passed FSOT (64.37 + 58.16 + 53.97 = 176.5)

June 1, 2010 – passed QEP

August 23, 2010 – passed FSOA (5.6)(+.175 Veterans points)

September 20, 2010 – granted Class 1 medical clearance

September 28, 2010 – security clearance interview

October 15, 2010 – investigation completed

November 3, 2010 – security clearance granted

November 5, 2010 – final suitability review done, Management register, 9/104

November 10, 2010 – offer extended for February A-100 Class (Feb 14)

November 15, 2010 – offer accepted

February 14, 2010 - A-100 starts