Holy moly, has it really been a year? April 11th marks my 1 year anniversary of officially being sworn as a Medical Provider in the Foreign Service. Remember this photo I posted after I got sworn in? Oh you sweet prince, if only you knew then how much camel meat you’d be eating…. It’s funny
Jeez, it feels like every other week I am reporting on some sort of trip. My first 6 months in Mauritania I barely left Nouakchott, but my second 6 months has been jam packed with travel, both domestic and abroad. Honestly, I have been loving it. I took this job for a lot of reasons,
At this time of year, just about every employee in the Foreign Service is required to write up and submit an EER, short for Employee Evaluation Report. In simpler terms, every year we are all required to write a one page evaluation of ourselves, which in reality is an essay contest to see how good
This week is a short and sweet one: Mauritania is home to one of the longest trains in the world. Stretching to over 3 kilometers long, the “Train du Desert” runs daily to and from the port city of Nouâdhibou in Northern Mauritania to the iron ore mines of Zouérat, deep in the Sahara 704km
This week we will talk about promotions in the Foreign Service. After my post about the cost of living increases and awards, a reader sent me this question: It is cool to see the government typically gives annual cost of living raises, but how do promotions work if there are any at all? I want
The recent holiday weekend afforded me a once in a lifetime opportunity to take a trip into the heart of Mauritania, visiting the oasis village of Terjit, the Holy City of Chinguetti, the ancient trading post of Ouadane, and camping out in the Eye of Richat (AKA the Eye of Africa). With the recent trip
One year ago this week I formally accepted my offer to join the Foreign Service, and it feels like it was yesterday. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, I felt like I was waiting an eternity going through the hiring process. From application to sitting in orientation was over 20 months. The shroud of the
There are only 3 Islamic Republics in the world, Mauritania being one, and the other two being Iran and Pakistan (Afghanistan is close being designated an “Islamic Emirate”). Within that grouping, Mauritania has by far the freest press according to Reporters Without Borders. Out of 180 countries, Mauritania places 97th. At first glance nothing special,
This month, for the first time in over half a decade I received a pay raise. It feels good. This is not because I am awesome or because I deserved it, but because every year congress or the President authorizes a cost of living raise, tied to inflation, for all federal employees. I should caveat
This week marks 6 months in Mauritania. I have completed 1/4th of my tour here, and somehow I feel like I just barely arrived. The first batch of officers I met since moving have departed post during the usual winter cycle, and a new group of individuals have recently arrived. I am no longer a
