In Brief: Medical Provider Hiring Process
Updated: April 2024 This is a quick post to go over the hiring process for the U.S. Foreign Service, with some time references for each step in the process. There is a page here that goes over my personal timeline in the hiring process and everything thereafter. For the most part, specialists and generalists have
Four Years of Service
Four years in the Foreign Service, and somehow it still feels like I just walked into A-100. These years have moved fast, full of new places, challenges, and moments that stretched me well beyond anything I expected when I first signed on. It hasn’t always been easy. This career asks a lot, both professionally and
Myeik Adventure
After months in Yangon, a three-day weekend in Myanmar’s southern port town of Myeik felt like stepping into a slower, salt-air world. The pace softened, the horizon opened, and life seemed to follow the tides rather than traffic. Getting there was its own Myanmar quirk: flights within the country often cost more than hopping between
AMA: What is Tenure in the Foreign Service?
A few posts back, I mentioned that I had been officially tenured by the Department of State. A reader was kind enough to send a congratulatory email and also asked if I could elaborate a bit more on what tenure actually means and how the process works. It’s a great question, and one that can
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
It’s time to take a trip down nerd alley and discuss Pokémon cards. Many of you that have followed along for a while know that I am big into collecting and playing Warhammer, but I have an even deeper, darker, secret in that I have been collecting Pokémon cards on and off since the late
Mekong Magic: A Beautiful Getaway to Laos
Last month I was able to take a short but rewarding trip to Laos, splitting the time between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. It ended up being one of those trips that feels both busy and restorative, part work, part exploration, and part appreciation for a country that seems on the cusp of real change. For
Tenured!
Last month brought some news I’d been waiting a long time to receive: I was tenured by the Foreign Service Specialist Selection Board. If you’re wondering what exactly tenure is, you’re not alone. When I first joined the Foreign Service, I mostly associated the word with ancient college professors, people who could say something completely
Sticker Shock
One of the quiet highlights of the end of the past year was getting to return home to El Paso for the holidays, from late November into December. There is something grounding about being back in familiar places, especially after spending so much time overseas. Unlike when I visited over the end of Summer and
A New Year, A Steady Path Forward
As another year comes to a close, I want to wish everyone a very happy New Year. For many of us, 2025 was not an easy year. It demanded flexibility, patience, and a willingness to adapt to uncertainty (important traits if you want to be in the FS). For those already serving overseas, it reinforced
Eve of an Election: A Brief Recent History
With Myanmar on the cusp of their first elections since the 2021 Military Coup, I thought it would be a good opportunity to provide a brief recent history on Myanmar. While I assume most people reading this blog have some sense of where Myanmar is, whenever I am back home and tell people where I
Life Update
I realize recently a lot of my posts have been more ethereal and less about my day to day life. A few readers asked me how I have been doing, where I am going next, and how are things in Myanmar, so I thought I would share. I have been posted to Myanmar for about