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
Every once and a while in my capacity as a Medical Provider in the U.S. Foreign Service, I am reminded that I am actually a titled diplomat (medical attaché), and as a diplomat, I get to do fancy diplomatic things. The reality is diplomacy is a good chunk of my job, reaching out to hospitals
A family member recently asked me if I could go back in time, would I have prioritized bidding on Mauritania when I first joined the State Department, and the answer is an emphatic YES! At the time, my list had 4 African countries (3 of which have since had coups) and 3 eastern European countries
With Angeli gone, this week marked the first week the kids and I have gone through the paces of our new routine without her being with us, and it surprisingly went pretty well. The kids and I miss her terribly, but I think we will survive. Definitely helping things run smoothly, we had our nanny
This weekend marked the departure of my beautiful wife Angeli as she heads back to Texas to resume occupancy of our house and resume work in her field of expertise. Like me, a nurse practitioner by trade, Angeli jumped on board the Foreign Service adventure knowing it would likely mean sporadic work in the medical
This week marked hitting 3 months left in our tour. It feels like we just got here, but our arrival seems like it happened so long ago. It’s a weird feeling. A lot needs to get done in the next few months and it reminds of when I first joined the Foreign Service: As you
One of the things that I have noticed with every departing member of the embassy, is they seem to discover a store, restaurant, or activity they didn’t know existed in the community just before they are about to leave. This inevitably leads to a comment along the lines of “I wish I would have known
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
