Furnished Post

So, from what I hear, almost all posts are furnished. This means I can expect to see the same furniture wherever I get posted. Yayy 😒 *sarcasm. The good thing about furnished posts is the slipcovers I'm going to buy will fit the furniture and we will have a consistent look.

Wow!

I cannot believe that I've been here for like 3 weeks now! I am settling in just fine. Initially, I was having second thoughts about coming here and joining the foreign service. But others have reached out to me and have made it so much more bearable. It makes a huge difference if you can tell me where to buy certain items, if you're telling me not eat items that are locally made. Yet, I digress.

We had Thanksgiving dinner over at a coworkers house and it was pretty good. I was very thankful for the company and the food. The boys seemed to have a great time as well. It made me miss my fam back in Michigan but what can you do. I remember on certain holidays, I would cook and have everyone over to my tiny townhouse and we'd just kick it. I miss those days.

Well, I just have to start new traditions now and have those memories with others. It seems difficult because my husband is always somewhere else than where we are but...anyway.

I only have motor pool for free for another week or so, I'm going to try to fit everything in as much as I can because I'll have to pay for it in the future. It seems a little backwards because there's no way I could've shipped my car from DC in ample time to have it reach here after arriving at post for a month. But hey, I'm going to make the best of it.

Sooo, my husband will be here for Christmas! I'm excited about seeing him and hopefully being able to spend some time with him. But usually that never really happens too much. We shall see how it goes this time.

Pics

First Week

The boys and I have been here for a week now. I must say that every day it's growing on me. We Americans are so spoiled and take so many things for granted. I'm learning to complain less and enjoy more. What can I say but I'm a work in progress...I can admit it.

My car is due to ship from DC on the 19th. Maybe I'll get it by mid January. I hope so because taking two car seats in and out of the motor pool van is not the business. Plus it's nice to just have your own. I can't wait to be mobile on my own.

The hubby is still in Afghanistan and although its only been a little over a month since we last were together, it seems like much longer. I won't get a chance to see him until January. Another holiday season without him. It's proven to be a tad bit frustrating to have to do EVERYTHING without him. I should be used to it by now, but there's always another set of circumstances that make the current situation unique and difficult. And still I rise...

I'm here!!

Well, it's happened, again! You know how when you're a kid, you always dream that you are special and that you'll be doing something important to affect the world? Well maybe everyone doesn't feel that way but I did.

Some may argue with me because of my position title and say that it's pretty low on the totem pole. However, I believe a position is what you make of it. You have unlimited capabilities in any task you set forth in.

I just arrived here in Tirana and got the red carpet treatment the moment I stepped into the airport. We were in the diplomatic passport line, which a lot of people seemed shocked that we were lol. We were pulled aside and ushered all the way through. My manager, the DCM was there at the airport to greet us.

Everyone has been so nice and helpful since the moment I arrived. Our house is much bigger than I thought it would be, which is nice. I can't wait to get my UAB and HHE so that I can make it home. Our bedroom furniture will fit in the master!! I cannot wait to get my bed back again.

Well my day 1 went pretty well, even though it was a partial one. We shall see what day 2 will bring.

And the winner is....Tirana, Albania

Flag day was last Tuesday and Tirana was my post assignment. I thought that my husband wasn't going to be able to see me until October and totally miss my Flag Day and Swearing In, but he surprised me and made it.

I'm the first person out of the OMS group to leave, as I need to be in Tirana around 11/9.  I don't get much training and I'll be working for the DCM. The number 2 in the embassy! What an honor to get this as my first post assignment. 

There's so many decisions and things to take care of.  Hubby and I have processed our passports and now we just have to get the boys' done now. He's in Detroit taking care of that, so hopefully he'll have it done before he leaves for Afghanistan again. We've decided that until he can find a job making around 75% of what he is making in Afghanistan, then he'll stay put and just come visit us in Tirana on his leave. I'm not sure if we are going to ship my car because the people there don't drive very well or follow traffic laws.

Tirana is also a consumables post, so I'll have to get all of that ready too. They've already identified our housing and all I can say is that I appreciate that its free.  Oh and I have a one-car garage too. The people contacting me from post have been so nice and willing to listen and answer all of my questions. I think I'm going to like it there! Oh and I can get a nanny ;-) So you know I'm happy!

 Prior to getting this assignment the only thing that I could relate to Albania was the movie "Taken".  LOL so not cool. When we found out my post assignment, my hubby and I kept saying, "Good Luck." 

I know of no one who's ever been to Albania before, so we're doing something people have only dreamed of before. I plan on taking advantage of being in Europe and traveling to all of the surrounding countries, if I'm able. I was so set against going to Europe and low and behold I get an assignment in Europe lol

My family is proud of me and I couldn't be any happier.

Ready...Sorta

So today, I fly up to Detroit to drop the boys off at their grandma's house. I won't have a lot of time to visit my family and friends because I'll be returning to FL and then driving to DC on Friday morning. It's really starting to set in now just how significant this is!!

I'm sooo happy that this is happening, but also very stressed. I tend to worry about things that I can't control...guess I'm a control freak lol. There are so many uncertain things that it just makes me be very critical and scrutinizing of everything. Normally, in a normal period of time lol I'm pretty easygoing. But...I'm unsuccessful at that task now. I'm praying about it.

So, here goes the beginning of the rest of my life!

Just Found This

Growth is a wonderful thing. I was looking at a blog I had when I was in Japan with my husband and he was deployed shortly after we moved abroad and married. Not only was I new to military life but to the country as well. This period of time, I believe, was preparing me for now.  Read the excerpt below and you be the judge.

"To sum up this post, I am loving the opportunity that we are experiencing living overseas and all of the other things that I am becoming aware of.  It seems that everything is so difficult, as far as my feelings right now, but I know that this is making me stronger and helping build my character.  In the long run, I will reflect and realize that it wasn't so bad.  And that I had to go through what I'm experiencing to get where I'm going.  If my life now is a precursor to what I will be experiencing in the future, then I am so ready!"
This was from December 29, 2009. 

Soooo Excited!!!

I'm coming around the bend now! Less than a week and I'll be on my way to DC.

My husband is in Afghanistan on a government contract job. Because of his scheduled leave he wasn't supposed to be back stateside until October....well after thinking he's not going to be there for my Flag Day or ceremonial swearing in, he surprises me with his itinerary. I was sooooo happy to see that he's not going to miss it. I LOVE my husband and he never ceases to amaze me with how much he supports me in everything I do.

In fact, I have him to thank for this position because I knew absolutely nothing about the Foreign Service before his retirement classes. He encouraged me to take the Foreign Service Officers test with him. Because I didn't want to be left behind, I knew I didn't pass the test, I applied for the OMS position. Well, almost two years later, here I am!

So we are the 127th Specialists Class!! The previous class set up a google group for us to communicate and there's been so much great information shares already. We have a Happy Hour set up for us the Sunday before our first day. As far as I know, there's only one other classmate staying at Crystal City like me. Oh, well, hopefully I won't regret being further away from my classmates.

Oh, I'm so proud of myself because I've cooked just about ALL the frozen food that we had in our deep freezer and freezer at our house. Our freezer at our house is bigger than the one here in the temp house, so I was trying to fit things in. I've saved so much money by cooking. What's left over, which won't be much at all, I'll toss. The seven weeks that I'll be in DC I'll be able to get rid of everything else.

I ordered some Crocs heels because the consensus at orientation is that you need comfortable shoes. I still want to look professional but I want comfort too. I wasn't able to find a local store that sold the Crocs heels here, so I had to order them. Hopefully, they will be comfortable like the reviews say they are.

So excited to have this opportunity!!!

Still Waiting...

What a ride so far! I'm soooo super excited to be going to DC in...17 days!!! I'll be driving there on 9/7. The hard work is sorta kinda done already. I just have to ship the boys' suitcase to MI and then hop on a plane to drop them off at their grandma's. Who am I kidding? It's going to be a task to wrestle 2 carseats, double stroller and the boys onto the plane. Although the cost to ship their suitcase is a little more than it would be to bring with us on the flight, the convenience is priceless.

My hubby left last Friday and I miss him soooo much already. He's so ready to quit his job, so he can be with us. I'm kind of ready for him to do it too, but we have to have something else, just as viable, as his current position to even fathom the thought. I know, it'll work itself out, somehow, someway!

I'll be staying in Oakwood Crystal City for orientation and training. I made my decision based upon this blog. Pretty much everyone else stays in Falls Church but there's nothing there. I hope I won't regret my decision. But there's a waiting list for Falls Church anyway. If need be, I can drive over to visit.

So now, I just wait some more to start the next phase of my life.

The Journey Begins

So, I've gone from accepting the position, to declining and preparing to quit my job and move, to accepting. Whoa!

Well I received my first offer the end of May around 4:30 on a Tuesday before I was to travel to NC to house hunt. We figured that since my security and medical clearances had already been granted months prior that I just wasn't going to be selected.

I sent a reply email accepting the position and then after listening to people I know, try to convince me to give it up and let my husband take care of me, I sent an email rescinding my acceptance. I put myself on the DNC list until November. I figured that would give me enough time to move and really have time to decide if it were for me.

Well life, really God, has a funny way of letting you know who's really running things. I put in my two weeks notice at work, arranged for movers, PODS, and I was trying to find a furnished apartment to wait for our NEW house to be built. I had it all planned. Then everything turned. After my job trying to convince me to stay they finally accepted my resignation and asked me to leave early, gee thanks, I guess lol. Then we got the call that has completely changed our lives.

We weren't gong to be moving into our house due to the company's error and we already had tenants to rent our house. We thought about taking our house off the rental market but our tenants were moving from Wisconsin and I'd already quit my job, so we decided we would still go to NC. Well after all of the decision making, I get an email regarding coming off the DNC list early and going to the September class. How ironic is it that when one door closes another one opens.

So I felt it was meant for me to be in the September class. I just finished with my pack out after two looooooong hard days. Even though they did the majority of the work, I still feel exhausted from helping and directing, etc. I have to definitely let Atlantic Relocation know what happened. The movers we had in Japan moved us in one day, including packing us and loading. Plus we lived on the 3rd floor and they took their shoes off every time they came in the house. Beggars can't be choosey. I'm very happy that my pack out could coincide with what I already had going on.

Now, I'm in a furnished house on the beach in Florida. Not a bad way to spend my last few weeks here. I'm so excited for Flag day to find out my first post assignment. Everybody keeps asking me where I'm going and I can't even say where yet. I'm so excited and proud to say I am a Department of State employee with the Foreign Service!