Orientation has come to an end, and with it closes the prologue of my Foreign Service career. Even now, after all this time, from getting invited to orientation in January, to now, about to embark on my first assignment, it all still feels so surreal. I really hope the feeling never goes away. I’m sure there will be annoyances and realities of the job that will be troublesome/difficult, but I really hope the sensation of awe and gratitude never leaves me. To get paid to take care of patients while travelling the world, living in different countries while representing my own, is for me, about as cool as it gets.
Orientation, without a doubt, has been one of the most enjoyable and difficult times of my life. Enjoyable meeting all these wonderful people, having world class cuisine within walking distance, and soaking in our nations capital. Difficult for being away from my family, not kissing my wife and daughters to bed every night, missing piano recitals, doctors appointment, EVERYTHING. As I mentioned previously, it is bittersweet having it come to an end, but now I get to start the adventure with my family by my side, and I couldn’t be happier.
As I write about how difficult the last 3 months was for me, I want to acknowledge my beautiful wife Angeli for keeping our home and family running strong. This job, this orientation, this move, this lifestyle, would be absolutely impossible without her. While I have been in orientation, she has been back in El Paso, working fulltime as a Nurse Practitioner. Around her fulltime job, she continues being Supermom at home as a breastfeeding mom to our baby E, getting our eldest daughter L to and from her school and social functions, preparing our house for a pack-out, selling our cars, and getting the house rented. I honestly have no clue how she was able to balance it all and keep sane, but I will forever be grateful to her for not only making this job a reality for me, but also being 100% on board, supporting/encouraging me from the second I submitted the application, through today. She has been my rock, and I am so lucky to have her by my side and with me through this journey.
A week from today, we will hopefully be settling into our Nouakchott home, getting a feel for the city, and begin acclimating to our new lifestyle. I have been practicing my French almost nightly to get myself comfortable enough to ask for bottled water, give/get directions, and make small talk. Although my job doesn’t really demand language skills, living in a country where English is rarely used definitely does. Thankfully, the embassy community in Mauritania has been insanely supportive thus far, and I think we will adjust quite nicely. I will hit the ground running almost immediately after we arrive. The family has a little time to adjust their sleep schedules and routine before they get too involved. School won’t start for L until late August, and Angeli has some very promising work lined up, but due to needing a security clearance herself, she will be waiting a few months to hop through those hurdles. Overall though, I feel we are positioned for a successful first tour.
It’s hard to believe, but the adventure is really getting started. Nearly two years to the day that I submitted the application. Here’s to a safe, happy, and successful first tour! –Nick
