Short and sweet this week.

Recently I was doing our monthly radio check when I started thinking about how weird this now routine activity was when I first moved to Mauritania.

A radio check isn’t making sure my 90’s boom box can still pump out tunes, it’s a test performed in missions around the world using a handheld radio to test connectivity with the marines at the U.S. Embassy, making sure this line of communication is intact.

You may be wondering, why even bother if everyone has a cell phone? Unfortunately, should a sudden crisis emerge, host governments often first cut peoples ability to use cell phones to communicate, making the humble radio a key tool in keeping the community informed and coordinated.

While much of life in the Foreign Service is very routine, just like back home or anywhere else in the world, there are little things here and there like radio checks that remind you that we’re not in Kansas anymore.