After what seemed like a bajillion hours of travel, I finally made it to Yangon a few weeks ago to start my new assignment.

First impressions: I am in love with this city. Lakes, lush trees, golden pagodas, monks bustling around in the streets, outdoor markets, old colonial building, and people walking everywhere. It all feels so alive. Definitely the sort of exotic locale I envisioned when I first applied to for this job. (Even my office view has a great view of Inya Lake.

Although my apartment isn’t the same Nouakchott palace I was living in for my first tour, it is really nice. It is also walking distance to lots of restaurants/shops, walking distance to the Embassy, and more than enough space. One room will definitely be dedicated to painting all the Warhammer stuff I plan to knock out while I am here. It is also home to a few other Embassy folks, so it has been nice getting to know some of my new colleagues. The real kicker though is it has an incredibly killer view of the Shwedagon Pagoda that I find myself staring at constantly. It’s so beautiful and not everyday a UNESCO heritage site is right out your window.

I am already missing Angeli and the girls, but the work here has already been interesting and I have no doubt the time will fly by considering how fast the two years in Mauritania came and went. One thing I have definitely noticed since joining the Foreign Service is just how fast time seems to accelerate. I think its because there is always something to look forward to and the work is really fun and interesting. I have never had a job where at the end of the weekend I look forward to going back into work like I do now. Between that and trips back home to see the family, there is always something in the near horizon to look forward to.

Here’s to a safe and successful tour! -Nick