One week from today I will be sitting in orientation, beginning my journey with the Foreign Service. I honestly still can’t believe it’s happening. Part of it might be that I am still working my current position in New Mexico until the bitter end, literally giving myself a single day off between my last day of work and the move to the DC area. Once I’m bumbling around the metro, trying to find my way to Trader Joes (a store that doesn’t exist in El Paso) it’ll likely feel more real.
The last couple of weeks in El Paso have continued to be productive. All my UAB was successfully collected, and hopefully will arrive in the DC unharmed. I ended up shipping mostly clothes I won’t need right away but still want to have, my desktop and all of the necessary accessories, and some painting hobby equipment. Speaking of clothes, I went out and bought a few new suites and sports coats, to shore up my “business” wardrobe. Thankfully, after initially saying all the virtual orientation sessions require suit and tie, full business attire, they walked it back and said business casual is okay too. This will definitely make my life easier, but the suit and tie will be needed as it seems they are expanding the number of in person sessions we will be having. As the country opens up, so too does the Foreign Service Institute it seems. IMHO a welcome change and will allow for better socialization and networking.
The only thing really left for the move is to get ticketed for my already reserved flight. Apparently, flights aren’t actually paid and ticketed until 3 business days before the flight by the government. I have to admit this is a bit nerve wracking, since I’ve already experienced some fun hiccups along the way, I don’t want to try and navigate making sure my ride to DC gets approved in the event they don’t ticket me. Finger’s crossed. Otherwise, the place in Arlington has been reconfirmed with my unit and move in time, so the rest of the process has been pretty flawless.
Lastly, I got to enjoy my last bit of time off before going back to work, celebrating my 37th birthday with friends and family. A large group of us went bowling, I spent a weekend in the mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico, and my family took me out for some hibachi Japanese grill. I also had the chance to have coffee with a fellow orientee, that is joining the Foreign Service in April. It was a really fun opportunity to compare hiring notes and timelines, share career aspirations, and realize what a small world it is, when we figured out families had known each other going back a generation or two. All of the above was honestly the perfect way to see a lot of people before I head out. Photo dump below.
Outside of a little tribute post I plan to the City of El Paso later this week, my next real update will come from my new locale in the DC Metro, and I’ll share some thoughts adjusting to my new digs, orientation, and what it’s like to have world class cuisine a stones throw away.
