Like other parts of the Sahel, Mauritania is a society where larger women are considered more beautiful. Part of this is rooted in the belief that it is a status symbol of wealth to have a spouse that is larger as it means you can afford to feed them well. A man with multiple wives
The ramp up to our PCS has another element of intrigue added to it. Recently, my wife was contacted by her previous boss in El Paso, a nephrologist that had heard she would be moving back to the city this year, and he offered her old job back with a substantial raise. The only caveat,
Wow, what a year. My first full year in the Foreign Service didn’t disappoint. It was full of fun, challenges, and lots and lots of travel. Here’s a brief recap: In January we kicked off the year by going to Banc D’arguin and Gran Canaria: February saw L and I head to the ancient city
Short and sweet this week. Just a quick Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. I hope wherever you are in the world, you are safe and surrounded with friends and loved ones. Cheers! Bonus: Below is a photo of the Nouakchott Holiday Card all Health Units in
Wow, in less than 6 months the family will be packing up and heading out from Mauritania. Surreal. It truly feels like we just arrived to post and the sensation of being “the new guy” hasn’t really left me. I guess I am new in terms of Foreign Service experience, but I am not really
Did you know the largest ship graveyard in the world can be found in Mauritania? That’s right. Just off those cost of Mauritania’s second largest city Nouadhibou, sit hundreds of abandon and rotting ships. The first ships were abandoned in the 1920’s and as time went on, individuals, companies, and even some countries found it
After nearly 18 months away from the borderland, I found myself back in El Paso. Boy was it great to be back home. In the time I had been away, the city continues to grow and change, and yet it still remains the same. Friendly people, beautiful mountains, great Mexican food. After a week of
Last week I touched on my weeklong training in D.C. and how it spiraled into a winter wonderland of activities. Following the week of fun, I took some leave in order to head back to West Texas and spend some time with my family and friends. Over the last few months, some major events happened,
How has educating your children in the Foreign Service been thus far, are the schools decent, and do you have to pay for their education abroad? This is a pretty complex question to answer just because there are so many variables that go into education, even domestically, so it can be particularly amplified abroad. Just
My phone recently reminded me of a glorious photo taken one year ago at the embassy Halloween event, and from there it took me through a path down memory lane of all my favorite photos taken here in Mauritania. I haven’t shared the photo in question on this blog, but figured now would be a
