A reader recently sent in the following question that really hit home: Now that you have gotten a tour under your belt, worked outside of your actual profession, returned back to your profession, returned home for a stretch, and have also had to alternate parenting solo, all within the first couple of years of your
“The purpose of home leave is to ensure that employees who live abroad for an extended period undergo reorientation and re-exposure in the United States on a regular basis.” -Foreign Affairs Manual. Since I am on home leave for the very first time, I thought I would take an opportunity to explain exactly what it
A common expression in government work is don’t spend too much time hugging the government, because the government won’t hug you back. Basically, don’t kill yourself for your job, because at the end of the day, the government doesn’t see an individual, they see a replaceable position. Very early on in my time in Nouakchott
A little over a week ago concluded the annual exercise all Foreign Service employees get to partake in, the Employee Evaluation Reports (aka EERs). I wrote about it last year here, but the just of it is you get to write a narrative of all your great accomplishments over the preceding year known as a
It’s a weird experience closing out my first tour, preparing to arrive in my second tour, but also having to prepare and research for my 3rd tour. Typically in the Foreign Service, bidding is done in 2 or 3 year cycles, depending on how long your next assignment will be. Each country is assigned a
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
Has it really been two years? April 11th marked the 2 year anniversary to my swearing into the Foreign Service. Moving into that Arlington apartment for a few months feels so long ago. Look at that freshly sworn in face (and note the Warhammer book in the background). Sworn in during the death throws of
What sort of banking do you use when living abroad? Don’t foreign transaction fees add up? Are your credit/debit cards even useful abroad? Easily one of the most common question I have been asked by newly hired providers, and in general one of the most common questions you see repeatedly on the FS Subreddit. Several
A pretty common question I get asked by friends, family, and readers is what level of airfare accommodation the U.S. government provides. The answer can be complex. The simplest answer is the U.S. government will pay for the cheapest unrestricted economy class tickets. These tickets whenever possible must also be in compliance with the “Fly
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
