What a Wild Week

There are times when people or organizations tell you they have a motto, but really it is just some snide little statement that either makes them feel important or they came up with because some consultant told them they needed one. Other companies, like Nike, have one that they embrace in every level of their culture. State has a motto, or at least maybe a philosophy, that seems, when you are new, to fall in the first category: Be Flexible. This isn't an official statement that appears on our business cards. It isn't part of the logo. It isn't splashed across the top of every Power Point slide. We are just reminded of it, constantly.

Side note; I think State uses Be Flexible because the Boy Scouts already had a lock on Be Prepared.

For those of you that read other Foreign Service blogs, this line of thought should come as no surprise. For those of you that are part of the Foreign Service, either as employees or families, I have a feeling you are cringing at this point, waiting for me to get on with it because you know the other shoe is going to drop and it will sound familiar or with the question of "what happened this time?"


Not even three weeks after Flag Day, I have been reassigned.


Where am I going? To the same post.
What am I doing? Different job.
When do you want me there? NOW!


I'm sorry, what was that last bit? You want me when? How much training do I get? Oh, that little? I see. Well, OK, I'm flexible. Let's do it!


Frankly, this has caused a lot of stress in my household because the family had only just applied for their blue passports, the kids hadn't applied for the new school yet, and frankly, they were in the process of getting ready to move out to Falls Church in December, three time zones East, instead of nine time zones West.


So we are working hard at getting ready to move to Post in December. The kids applications are in, the cats are being prepped to fly, the house prepped for renting, an accountant hired, passports and visas applied for, and expectations are being managed. I have to say that everyone involved in this process has been extremely helpful. Post has been wonderful at answering my wife's questions, and very responsive to my questions. The Bureau has been very helpful and is working closely with me to get as much training as possible in the five weeks I have left in DC, before heading to Post. And the kid's new school is being very helpful with all of the things that we need to get done in such a short time.



I am very excited about my first position, and I can't wait to start this next phase of my career. My family is excited and even the oldest has become excited about it too. She found the schools website and looked at all they had to offer, with no prompting from me or her mother. This is VERY encouraging!


I know I had more to write about in this post, but I started it last week and got sidetracked by something, so that is it for now. My next post will be about my visit home to Oregon and the joys of good coffee and excellent Indian food.


Be well world.