Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What a wonderful day we had. I have to be honest and say that I never imagined our first Thanksgiving overseas could be as fantastic as today was. Brian and I have been in Caracas just over a month now, and I am amazed at the wonderful friends we have made here. As I have mentioned before, I am blown away every day by the generosity and kindness of the embassy community here.
Today started as a lazy morning. Brian used his creative cooking skills once again to whip up sweet potato pancakes and bacon in the kitchen. It was really nice to be able to just hang out and visit and enjoy our coffee. It really felt like the weekend. Around 3:00ish, we headed to our new friends' house. It still didn't really feel like Thanksgiving. Several embassy families were in attendance and the hostess had prepared a traditional turkey along with several side dishes (mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mushroom and potato gratin, lentils). The food was great and the company was outstanding. I really enjoyed getting to know some of Brian's colleagues better. As the sun faded and the city grew dark, we sat with our cups of coffee and pumpkin pie and suddenly it felt like Thanksgiving. I looked around the table and realized just how lucky we are. Today I feel so blessed, blessed to have family that is so caring you can feel their love from afar, to have new friends here that already feel a bit like family, to have friends from different stages in our life that are thinking of us and wishing us well, to have a beautiful place to live and an opportunity to explore a new place with my best friend. I am truly blessed.
So, yes, for those of you out there wondering what it's like to be in a foreign country for Thanksgiving, it's a bit strange. We missed being with our families and I don't think that's something that ever goes away. It was always hard even when we were in the states. What I can say, however, is that being with people who share lots of the same traditions and who can come together to share those in a place that feels foreign is a really neat experience. Someone once told me that we're the most patriotic when we're away from the US and I definitely think that's true for me. It was almost like we had this great secret today when we walked into the street all dressed up to head to dinner in the middle of a Thursday. Venezuelans looked at us strangely and I felt like we had this insider secret about our own traditions and our own special holiday. The few people I did talk to about it were really interested in hearing about our traditions and the history of the holiday. It was fun to share something that is special to us and is truly American.
Well, I have lots more to share about things we've done since I last blogged, but today was so wonderful and feels so very American that I think I'll leave it at that tonight. To all of you who are a part of our lives, thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
He Said: Food Glorious Food
It has been quite a while since I last posted on the blog. I guess it goes to show how I've been entrenched with life at the embassy and getting used to the new job. I'm thankful that Steph has been able to post on occasion to keep you all up to date, and I think she's starting to feel a little more settled.
Work has definitely been keeping me busy since we landed a month ago, yesterday. It's very strange to think that 9 months have passed since I started A-100 and an entire month has gone by since we first landed in Caracas. Time has definitely flown by, and I think for the most part we have been having fun.
One thing that has really kept Steph and I sane since we've arrived is cooking and exploring the culinary side of Caracas and Venezuela. Without any of our stuff our apartment does feel quite empty. Additionally, with security restrictions and the lack of a car, life in the apartment can make you feel a little captive at times. We have really tried to battle these feelings through our weekly trip to Chacao Market, bumming a ride from someone at the embassy each week. Chacao has exposed us to new fruits, vegetables, seasonings, and cooking methods. The vendors as we've gotten to know them have become very open in sharing tips and telling us what they'd be doing with our purchases for the week. Our little adventures out have opened our eyes to new things and I think have sparked a little extra imagination with our inner chefs.
Over the past couple of weeks Steph and I have had some difficulty just spending time together. With work, embassy events, adjusting to all the new things, and just sheer exhaustion we find ourselves going to bed early and also trying to find some quiet time for ourselves. One thing that has brought us together is the kitchen. During these past two weeks Steph and I have been working our way through some of the basics of Latin American cooking... which also means we have been... (gasp) frying. Last week we braved "tostones" which are fried, mashed, plantains. Plantains are a little like bananas, but more starchy. The end product comes out somewhere between a big flat french fry and a donut. A little sweet, a little starchy. After reading this I realize my description kind of stinks, but you'll just have to come and visit us to try them out as I think we're now getting the hang of it. Other attempts have been made at making fried Yuca (another potato like product that I think turns out better than french fries... now if I only had a chocolate malt to dip them in) and Tequeños. Tequeños are white cheese that is wrapped in a bready wrapper (almost like an eggroll wrapper, but more bready) and deep fried. They're kind of like mozzarella sticks but with bread, not bread crumbs, and no tomato dipping sauce. You can buy them pretty much anywhere, including the baseball stadium. We have been taking pictures of all of our wonderful kitchen creations and we'll be sure to share them with you all...that is as soon as our newly ordered camera cord arrives.
Well, life has definitely been an adventure since our arrival, and there has easily been a lot of adjusting to do. Life is simply... different. We are of course heading in a new direction and are at the beginning of our own little journey. As you've probably gathered from some of the stories that Steph has been able to share, we have definitely had our share of "adventures" since we arrived. I am confident in time that things will settle, but until then, I guess we'll just have to confide in filling our stomachs with good food and discovering Venezuela, one bite at a time.
Work has definitely been keeping me busy since we landed a month ago, yesterday. It's very strange to think that 9 months have passed since I started A-100 and an entire month has gone by since we first landed in Caracas. Time has definitely flown by, and I think for the most part we have been having fun.
One thing that has really kept Steph and I sane since we've arrived is cooking and exploring the culinary side of Caracas and Venezuela. Without any of our stuff our apartment does feel quite empty. Additionally, with security restrictions and the lack of a car, life in the apartment can make you feel a little captive at times. We have really tried to battle these feelings through our weekly trip to Chacao Market, bumming a ride from someone at the embassy each week. Chacao has exposed us to new fruits, vegetables, seasonings, and cooking methods. The vendors as we've gotten to know them have become very open in sharing tips and telling us what they'd be doing with our purchases for the week. Our little adventures out have opened our eyes to new things and I think have sparked a little extra imagination with our inner chefs.
Over the past couple of weeks Steph and I have had some difficulty just spending time together. With work, embassy events, adjusting to all the new things, and just sheer exhaustion we find ourselves going to bed early and also trying to find some quiet time for ourselves. One thing that has brought us together is the kitchen. During these past two weeks Steph and I have been working our way through some of the basics of Latin American cooking... which also means we have been... (gasp) frying. Last week we braved "tostones" which are fried, mashed, plantains. Plantains are a little like bananas, but more starchy. The end product comes out somewhere between a big flat french fry and a donut. A little sweet, a little starchy. After reading this I realize my description kind of stinks, but you'll just have to come and visit us to try them out as I think we're now getting the hang of it. Other attempts have been made at making fried Yuca (another potato like product that I think turns out better than french fries... now if I only had a chocolate malt to dip them in) and Tequeños. Tequeños are white cheese that is wrapped in a bready wrapper (almost like an eggroll wrapper, but more bready) and deep fried. They're kind of like mozzarella sticks but with bread, not bread crumbs, and no tomato dipping sauce. You can buy them pretty much anywhere, including the baseball stadium. We have been taking pictures of all of our wonderful kitchen creations and we'll be sure to share them with you all...that is as soon as our newly ordered camera cord arrives.
Well, life has definitely been an adventure since our arrival, and there has easily been a lot of adjusting to do. Life is simply... different. We are of course heading in a new direction and are at the beginning of our own little journey. As you've probably gathered from some of the stories that Steph has been able to share, we have definitely had our share of "adventures" since we arrived. I am confident in time that things will settle, but until then, I guess we'll just have to confide in filling our stomachs with good food and discovering Venezuela, one bite at a time.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
She Said: Turkeys and Sandy Water
Well, the last couple of days have been very up and down for me. Yesterday, unfortunately, I was very down. I definitely feel a bit homesick and I'm missing all of you. I also really miss Target. It was a hard adjustment in DC to adjust to not working, but this is a really difficult adjustment. I miss the target culture, the people, the challenging work, etc. It's hard to start a new life where you feel like people just don't understand where you came from and who you are. So I spent a good part of yesterday morning at home crying.
Today, I woke up and decided I had the choice of either being at home and crying, or enjoying the day. I chose the latter and I've had a really great day. I ventured out to the gym for the first time today. It's a nice little gym at the embassy. So far I don't know of any personal trainers here, which is really what I need, but one step at a time. For now I just want to commit to going at least three times a week. It's about a 10 minute walk from our apartment, so it's definitely doable.
You're probably wondering about the title of the post. Well, yesterday I had quite the surprise at the bottom of my water glass. I was really thirsty having arrived from my walk to the embassy and I chugged my glass of water and got a mouthful of sand. Yuck! I was so grossed out. We just found out that we need to wipe off the bottles that arrive with bottled water with bleach water before we load them. I also took the bottle off the tank only to discover that the tank for the water was also lined with sand. It was gross, but everything is disinfected and ready to go now. No sand in your water if you come to visit :-).
We've decided to hire someone to help out in the apartment a couple of times a week. This will also allow me to be on my own schedule and not to have to be home for water delivery, repairs, etc. It's our first time ever doing this, so we're definitely learning from others. We'll let you know how it goes.
The most exciting news of today is that our turkeys arrived. Every year the embassy offers employees the option to order turkeys. They are really nice turkeys and I think they may ship them in from the states. In our typical overzealous fashion, we ordered 3. Now we have them all sitting our freezer. Hopefully we will get our stuff by Thanksgiving so we can enjoy the turkey, the stuffing and all of our favorites for the holidays. Off to pick up the apartment...Brian informed me packages have arrived from Target which means our new bedding is here. Yeah!!!!!
Today, I woke up and decided I had the choice of either being at home and crying, or enjoying the day. I chose the latter and I've had a really great day. I ventured out to the gym for the first time today. It's a nice little gym at the embassy. So far I don't know of any personal trainers here, which is really what I need, but one step at a time. For now I just want to commit to going at least three times a week. It's about a 10 minute walk from our apartment, so it's definitely doable.
You're probably wondering about the title of the post. Well, yesterday I had quite the surprise at the bottom of my water glass. I was really thirsty having arrived from my walk to the embassy and I chugged my glass of water and got a mouthful of sand. Yuck! I was so grossed out. We just found out that we need to wipe off the bottles that arrive with bottled water with bleach water before we load them. I also took the bottle off the tank only to discover that the tank for the water was also lined with sand. It was gross, but everything is disinfected and ready to go now. No sand in your water if you come to visit :-).
We've decided to hire someone to help out in the apartment a couple of times a week. This will also allow me to be on my own schedule and not to have to be home for water delivery, repairs, etc. It's our first time ever doing this, so we're definitely learning from others. We'll let you know how it goes.
The most exciting news of today is that our turkeys arrived. Every year the embassy offers employees the option to order turkeys. They are really nice turkeys and I think they may ship them in from the states. In our typical overzealous fashion, we ordered 3. Now we have them all sitting our freezer. Hopefully we will get our stuff by Thanksgiving so we can enjoy the turkey, the stuffing and all of our favorites for the holidays. Off to pick up the apartment...Brian informed me packages have arrived from Target which means our new bedding is here. Yeah!!!!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
She Said: Caracas Crud
Wow, sorry to be so silent. Both of us have been really laid up the last week or so with what they call the Caracas crud. I'll spare you the details of how fun it has been, but suffice it to say it could also be known as The Revenge of Caracas, "turista" and a number of other names. Not fun. On top of that, I seem to have gotten H1N1 or some variety of influenza last week. On Friday I got a nasty cough which developed into something that sounded like pneumonia and I had a terrible fever Saturday and Sunday. It has been absolutely miserable, but I'm happy to say that I'm on the mend. Hopefully by the end of this week, I should be back at 100%.
A lot has happened here since we first wrote upon arrival, but I am going to try and keep this as concise as possible so that I don't bore you. I am currently not working, so until I find a position, I will try to keep the blog up to date on a pretty regular basis. Some of you probably noticed Brian's wonderful handiwork at the top of the blog. Don't you love it? I do!!! We (he) added clocks for Venezuela, MN and DC so it's easier to keep track. You guys all went off of daylight savings, but we stayed the same, so now we're 1 1/2 hours ahead of MN and 30 minutes ahead of DC....weird.
Since we last wrote I think one of our biggest highlights in Caracas has been Chacao market. The past two weekends we have gotten up early to go to Chacao market with friends and buy fresh produce, chicken and some things that can be difficult to find at the regular supermarket here. It is a fantastic experience. If you have ever been to a Latin American market, this one is probably pretty similar...lots of smells, easily overwhelming with lots of vendors in your face right away trying to sell you things. Our second weekend was much easier to navigate and we have already found our favorite vegetable stand. The seller remembered us the second week and he has quite the sense of humor. I was able to find the final ingredients I needed to make a couple of kringles which I've been wanting to make for people who have been so helpful to us since we arrived. The almond flavoring, powdered sugar and whipping cream were hard to find, but I got them at Chacao. I look forward to sharing more with you about our chacao purchases. Last week I think Brian had the best find in locating the cheese/bacon vendor.
We were so excited after we got back from Chacao that we were able to cook our own food. Brian even made our version of a local avocado and onion sauce called guasacaca. I was so proud of our first meal I took a picture. One thing it would have been nice to know beforehand was that we are supposed to bleach all of our vegetables. It might seem strange to some of you to be ingesting bleach, but it's only about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water and they say it's the best thing to do to kill anything that might be on the veggies or in the water.
We were also warned about eating raw veggies at restaurants when we go out. We were aware of this, but I guess you sort of get in a comfort zone. We have eaten at two really good restaurants in our neighborhood. The first is a sushi place, which was some of the best sushi I've ever had and the prices were really reasonable. The second place is called Rey David. It is a really interesting restaurant/shop that is considered to be amongst the nicest in the area. They also carry imported products that are hard to find other places (for example sour cream can't be found anywhere else in the city). It's a really great place! After we ate there, however, we warned by someone not to eat the apples served with their sandwiches...perhaps that was the beginning of our being ill. Anyway, it has been fun to discover the new places close by particularly being that Brian and I are such foodies.
I have made several friends since we arrived. I have to say that the best part about this post is the community. There are so many wonderful people here who have had me over for coffee, taken me all over the city, invited me into their homes, their families and I could go on and on and on. It's fantastic. The job situation is still very much up in the air for me, but only time will help that.
I will spare you all the details of what has been happening since our last post, but what is exciting is that we got internet in the apartment and we just found out recently that we will be able to attend the marine ball. Two tickets opened up. I'm really excited. A friend took me to the dress shop today to rent a dress for the event because I didn't pack one in my suitcase. The prices were very reasonable (ranging from 50-90 per dress). I picked out a blue one for this year. It should be a fun event. Can't wait to share pictures.
On that note, some of you are probably wondering why we haven't shared any pictures. Well, it turns out we forgot to pack our camera cord to upload pictures to the computer in our suitcase, so we're stuck until we can order one. Hopefully it won't be too long.
Finally, I hope any of you who take a nice relaxing bath or a lovely long, hot shower on Friday or Saturday will think of us. Caracas is currently in the midst of a terrible drought. That coupled with lack of maintenance on the current system has led to the government declaring all Caracas residents to be 2 days a week without water. We will be ok. Our building has a holding tank and the water should last enough for basic things for 2 days, but it still strikes me how real the water shortage is and how difficult conservation efforts can be. As with many others in the city, we will be filling our tub on Thursday to be sure we make it through the weekend without a hitch. If you're interested, here's an article with a bit more info. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8339247.stm. I also highly recommend searching for the Chavez speech on 3 minute showers on You Tube for those of you who speak Spanish.
Again, sorry we've been out of touch. I think we're back up and running and you can count on hearing from us on a pretty regular basis. Take care!
A lot has happened here since we first wrote upon arrival, but I am going to try and keep this as concise as possible so that I don't bore you. I am currently not working, so until I find a position, I will try to keep the blog up to date on a pretty regular basis. Some of you probably noticed Brian's wonderful handiwork at the top of the blog. Don't you love it? I do!!! We (he) added clocks for Venezuela, MN and DC so it's easier to keep track. You guys all went off of daylight savings, but we stayed the same, so now we're 1 1/2 hours ahead of MN and 30 minutes ahead of DC....weird.
Since we last wrote I think one of our biggest highlights in Caracas has been Chacao market. The past two weekends we have gotten up early to go to Chacao market with friends and buy fresh produce, chicken and some things that can be difficult to find at the regular supermarket here. It is a fantastic experience. If you have ever been to a Latin American market, this one is probably pretty similar...lots of smells, easily overwhelming with lots of vendors in your face right away trying to sell you things. Our second weekend was much easier to navigate and we have already found our favorite vegetable stand. The seller remembered us the second week and he has quite the sense of humor. I was able to find the final ingredients I needed to make a couple of kringles which I've been wanting to make for people who have been so helpful to us since we arrived. The almond flavoring, powdered sugar and whipping cream were hard to find, but I got them at Chacao. I look forward to sharing more with you about our chacao purchases. Last week I think Brian had the best find in locating the cheese/bacon vendor.
We were so excited after we got back from Chacao that we were able to cook our own food. Brian even made our version of a local avocado and onion sauce called guasacaca. I was so proud of our first meal I took a picture. One thing it would have been nice to know beforehand was that we are supposed to bleach all of our vegetables. It might seem strange to some of you to be ingesting bleach, but it's only about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water and they say it's the best thing to do to kill anything that might be on the veggies or in the water.
We were also warned about eating raw veggies at restaurants when we go out. We were aware of this, but I guess you sort of get in a comfort zone. We have eaten at two really good restaurants in our neighborhood. The first is a sushi place, which was some of the best sushi I've ever had and the prices were really reasonable. The second place is called Rey David. It is a really interesting restaurant/shop that is considered to be amongst the nicest in the area. They also carry imported products that are hard to find other places (for example sour cream can't be found anywhere else in the city). It's a really great place! After we ate there, however, we warned by someone not to eat the apples served with their sandwiches...perhaps that was the beginning of our being ill. Anyway, it has been fun to discover the new places close by particularly being that Brian and I are such foodies.
I have made several friends since we arrived. I have to say that the best part about this post is the community. There are so many wonderful people here who have had me over for coffee, taken me all over the city, invited me into their homes, their families and I could go on and on and on. It's fantastic. The job situation is still very much up in the air for me, but only time will help that.
I will spare you all the details of what has been happening since our last post, but what is exciting is that we got internet in the apartment and we just found out recently that we will be able to attend the marine ball. Two tickets opened up. I'm really excited. A friend took me to the dress shop today to rent a dress for the event because I didn't pack one in my suitcase. The prices were very reasonable (ranging from 50-90 per dress). I picked out a blue one for this year. It should be a fun event. Can't wait to share pictures.
On that note, some of you are probably wondering why we haven't shared any pictures. Well, it turns out we forgot to pack our camera cord to upload pictures to the computer in our suitcase, so we're stuck until we can order one. Hopefully it won't be too long.
Finally, I hope any of you who take a nice relaxing bath or a lovely long, hot shower on Friday or Saturday will think of us. Caracas is currently in the midst of a terrible drought. That coupled with lack of maintenance on the current system has led to the government declaring all Caracas residents to be 2 days a week without water. We will be ok. Our building has a holding tank and the water should last enough for basic things for 2 days, but it still strikes me how real the water shortage is and how difficult conservation efforts can be. As with many others in the city, we will be filling our tub on Thursday to be sure we make it through the weekend without a hitch. If you're interested, here's an article with a bit more info. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8339247.stm. I also highly recommend searching for the Chavez speech on 3 minute showers on You Tube for those of you who speak Spanish.
Again, sorry we've been out of touch. I think we're back up and running and you can count on hearing from us on a pretty regular basis. Take care!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
He Said and She Said: Our Arrival in Caracas
Since Arriving in Caracas we've had very spotty internet service. The series of logs below are a combination of those written by Steph and Brian offline until we've had the opportunity to post them. We hope you enjoy our He Said/She Said post on our arrival...
He Said: As I sit here(Saturday, Oct. 25th) in our brand new living room, utilizing a "borrowed" internet connection, I'm watching the clouds inch their way across the sky just barely above our apartment. As the sun rises begins to break up the low cloud cover, the Andes are revealed towering over the sprawling urban scene in the valley below, I realize that we definitely aren't in Kansas anymore... or Minnesota, or DC, or the States.
She Said: As I write this (Thursday October 22nd), I am sitting in our new living room looking out onto the city. We have an absolutely astonishing view from both sides of our apartment. Strangely enough, this place felt like home almost immediately after we walked through the door. Perhaps it was because we had heard a lot about what to expect and the place is beautiful. Brian has commented several times that the living room/ formal dining space is probably larger than the entire square footage of any apartment he and I have ever lived in together. I think that’s true. It’s beautiful and we are very happy with our new place.
He Said: Well, we've finally arrived! After almost 8 months of training, preparation, time apart, moving, and everything else that has occupied our lives, Steph and I just got into Caracas this week. About two weeks ago, I wrapped up training and my consultations in DC to officially end my "in-training" status. We spent a little over a week at home in Minnesota taking one last opportunity to say good-bye to family and friends. A big thank you to everyone that contributed to throwing our going away parties while home. Also, thank you to everyone that came, it was so great to see you all. It really was a great trip and we were so lucky to have time with nearly everyone we wanted to see. As we got on the plane to head back to DC where we would then leave for good, Steph and I reflected on how lucky we truly are to have such wonderful people in our lives.
She Said: Before we left for Caracas, we spent some time at home with family. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at home (even the snow) and loved having the time to spend with family and friends. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The best part about being home was seeing those we love. We enjoyed all our special time together including time at the tomato farm, playing with kids, watching movies, eating breakfast together, enjoying a glass of wine, you name it. We had two going away parties while we were home, which were both fantastic. In that time, we got to see lots of extended family and friends and had a chance to share our journey with others. In addition to the parties, the last day we were home, we had a combined family dinner and that was one of the most difficult days of my life. To have everyone I love spending time with at one table together, knowing we won’t see them for at least the next six months, made me really sad. As all who were there can attest to, I pretty much cried through the entire lunch. It was a really hard day for us and going to the airport was difficult as well.
Our families have been phenomenal throughout this process. Although some of you are not intimately familiar with foreign service life, you can probably imagine that we ask our families to support us in very unique ways and to redefine a relationship with us in very different ways. I can only imagine that it’s difficult from their perspective to be asked to participate in foreign service life and to support us in something that they themselves do not know very well and did not choose. They have been fantastic in their willingness to help us with mail forwarding, skypeing, keeping copies of important documents, listening to us in hard times, and on and on and on. In short, they’ve been great and I want to be sure to thank them for being so wonderful. We love you guys and we hope to see you soon!!!
From a foreign service spouse perspective, if I had it to do over again, I think I would have reserved our packout and departure for after the family visit. The main reason I mention this is simply because of all the extra baggage we were carrying around. Airlines these days have gotten very particular about carryon luggage and we were confronted each time we flew with whether or not our backpacks would fit, a couple of times with issues with our rollerbags, etc., etc. We had been very careful about packing everything we needed for home in our carryon luggage, but that meant they were bigger than they probably would have been if we had packed out after we went home. I know this seems like a very small thing to worry about, but what I learned from this trip was that moving to post is very stressful as is without any added stressors. The last thing FS families need is airlines stopping them and suggesting they need to check more luggage or asking them to stop and try to fit their bag in the carryon “test space”.
He Said: After one short night in DC (due to a couple of airline delays) we wrapped up a few loose ends and headed to the airport. It was the first time I had ever had to use a cart at the airport, but it was an easy concession when we rolled in with 4 suitcases, 2 carry-on, and 2 backpacks. It was made clear to us to pack as much as we could bring as the delivery of our stuff may take awhile. We listened to people's advice, and this was the result. After an extended check-in process, Steph and I were happy to be rid of the bags and on the plane to Miami. Once we landed, we were checked into our hotel on South Beach and enjoyed a couple of nice meals. We took in the local stone crab, which was great, and were able to also enjoy a great cuban meal at a little restaurant just down from the hotel. I had my first taste of "café con leche," the famous cuban coffee, which I realize now in Venezuela definitely won't be my last.
She Said: After leaving MN we headed back to DC for one last night. Brian had to do a couple of things to checkout in the morning and then we left for Miami. For me, Miami was a wonderful respite. Brian had to work, so his thoughts on the city may be different, but I was able to catch up on sleep and felt more prepared to face the journey ahead of us when we left. While we were there we stayed at a place called The Angler’s Boutique Resort. This is a little plug for them if you’re every in Miami. It was a really marvelous place to stay. It is a boutique hotel, so it is very unique and Brian and I had a 2 story tower room. The ground floor had a sitting area with a tv, bar area, stereo system with sound dock, coffee tables. There was a spiral staircase that led up to the bedroom and bathroom on the top floor which also had a tv. It was a cute place that was comfortable and relaxing. For us, it was perfect and just what we needed before our trip to Venezuela. I had one day to explore and got to enjoy breakfast on South Beach with fresh squeezed orange juice, shopping on Lincoln Road, a manicure/pedicure at a really nice salon and dinner with Brian at a great little Cuban place. It was fun!
He Said: After a day of meetings in Miami and one more night in the hotel, we repacked our carry-ons and were off to MIA one more time to get on the plane to Caracas. I have to admit I was a bit nervous at the airport. It has been sometime since I flew internationally, this is the first time I will have to truly use a foreign language, and the one-last-goodbye phone calls to family didn't make things any easier. I survived, and we boarded the plane. The flight was only around three hours long, and the views of the ocean and the coast Venezuela as we approached were breathtaking from the air. As we deboarded the plane and made our way through customs, we realized quickly we were back in Latin American time when it took 45 minutes to get our bags... after we had already waited a half-hour to get through the initial customs section where they verify our visas. We were met at the airport by my friend James, who I had gotten to know during training and softball this past summer. The hour long car ride (mostly due to traffic and the fact we had to climb 3000 feet to get through the Andes) passed quickly as we caught up and listened to James' stories from the past couple of months. Finally, the van pulled up to our new home for the next two years. Our apartment is very nice. A three bedroom place with a large living room and views of the city from both sides. We will be sure to post pictures once we are up and running full time with internet, which should be this week. After an introduction dinner at a local Arepas place (a typical Venezuelan meal - kind of like a sandwich) Steph and I turned in to get ready for the first day at the Embassy.
She Said: In the morning we left for the Miami airport. Sitting at the gate, we were both very nervous about what was ahead. I think it was a combination of nervous and excitement in anticipation of a new life ahead. When we arrived in Caracas, we passed through Customs with no problems and were kicked out into the bustling airport arrival area. It is, as many people have described it, a sea of people and you are looking for the one familiar face. Luckily ours was easy to find and we headed for the apartment. Traffic was horrendous and it took us over an hour to arrive at our place. We got there with no problem moved our things into the closets and then went to a traditional Venezuelan restaurant for dinner with Brian’s new colleagues. Again, everyone was so welcoming. We had someone pick us up at our apartment, people to enjoy dinner with, and yet another colleague that came and helped us learn how to work our new alarm system and get settled in. We couldn’t have ordered a better welcoming committee. Although we were exhausted once we got home, we did take the time to put our own sheets on the bed and put our bathroom towels out. It was a nice touch that really made it feel like ours instead of a hotel. I would highly recommend this to FS families.
He Said: The first couple of days at work for me are spent handling all of the in-processing necessary for me to transfer from DC to Post. Steph joined me for the first day as many of the short briefings I have to attend are really for her too. I have not really been able to to much work yet, but I realize it's a process. It has been nice to be able to ease in a little bit, get to know other folks in the embassy community, and not be required to use my Spanish full-time quite yet. We've really enjoyed our time here thus far and look forward to the many adventures to come. Last night we joined some friends from the embassy for sushi at a mall just down the road. Interestingly enough, it turns out that sushi is really popular here and it's actually quite good. We enjoyed our little dinner outside and the short taxi ride back up the hill (everything's on a hill here in Caracas) to our apartment. This morning we'll be heading to one of the outdoor markets with friends to hopefully secure some more food. It takes a while to get set up down here, so for the time being we are reliant on borrowed money and rides from others. We'll be looking forward to getting some vegetables and meat into the kitchen and finally being able to cook dinner for ourselves.
We miss you all very much and are looking forward to sharing the many adventures to come!
She Said: This morning (Thursday, Oct. 22) we got up early to catch a ride to the embassy. We had a full day of administrative procedures, which was complicated by the fact that our sponsor got Dengue Fever last week. He has been very ill and therefore has not been able to carry out a lot of the responsibilities that a sponsor would typically complete. I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m complaining, I’m not, and there’s absolutely nothing he could have done to prevent it, it simply means that we have to ask others to fill in for him and I feel like a bit of a burden to the folks who have helped us out.
Since we arrived, the thing that has struck me the most is the sense of community within the embassy and the kindness of all the people we have interacted with. That kindness and willingness to help has been visible in each and every person we have met at the embassy. I couldn’t choose one best part about today, so I will write two. In addition to the people at the embassy being so helpful to us and making the arrival as easy as it can be, I am already loving the food. We had café con leche this morning once we got to the embassy and learned about Marón which is like café con leche, but with an extra shot of espresso. We agreed we’ll go with Maron in the future. For lunch we had traditional pabellon criollo at the cafeteria and it was really tasty.
As I sit here tonight (Thursday) reflecting on how much our life has changed over the last year, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. I can see already that this will be a great opportunity for Brian in terms of his foreign service career. I also know that for me, this will be a wonderful life experience. Regardless of the path I choose to pursue in terms of career here in Caracas, I know that my life will be full and wonderful. Being back here has also helped me regain a confidence and a voice that truly defines me. My passion for culture and language seems to have risen to the surface again and I am enjoying every minute.
Looking forward to sharing more adventures with you all soon (supposed to have internet in the apartment by Wednesday October 28)!
Monday, September 14, 2009
She Said: Shots...Round 1
That's right folks, you read correctly, round 1. After weeks of trying to gather immunization records from the various places Brian and I have lived, I arrived at FSI to find out just exactly what I needed before we head out. A recommendation for any of you who are thinking you may want to go overseas at some point in your life.......KEEP YOUR IMMUNIZATIONS UP TO DATE. As the nurse reviewed my most recent records (from graduate school, so can't blame mom for this), she slowly read off the shots I should have had up to date, but did not. Tetanus booster (needed in 2006) and Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B series vaccinations that I started while I was in college, but never went back to complete. This means that in addition to the strange vaccines I have to get for going overseas (Typhoid Fever, Yellow Fever, Rabies Series), I also have to get a tetanus booster and complete the hepatitis A and B series. Those of you who know me also know that I hate shots, so this was not good news for me.
In any case, I got my first round today and have to go back for another round in a week or so and then once more before we head out to Venezuela. I found it interesting to hear from the nurse that yellow fever vaccine is in short supply right now. I will actually have to go to a private clinic to get that one before we leave and she recommended a regular flu shot.
So, 3 shots today, next week I'll have another 3, another 2 before we leave for Venezuela, a flu shot at the local pharmacy and a yellow fever shot at the travel clinic. 10 shots before we go and one Hepatitis B in March once we're at post to complete the series. This is one part of traveling that I do not enjoy. Looking forward to a happier blog post next time around.
In any case, I got my first round today and have to go back for another round in a week or so and then once more before we head out to Venezuela. I found it interesting to hear from the nurse that yellow fever vaccine is in short supply right now. I will actually have to go to a private clinic to get that one before we leave and she recommended a regular flu shot.
So, 3 shots today, next week I'll have another 3, another 2 before we leave for Venezuela, a flu shot at the local pharmacy and a yellow fever shot at the travel clinic. 10 shots before we go and one Hepatitis B in March once we're at post to complete the series. This is one part of traveling that I do not enjoy. Looking forward to a happier blog post next time around.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Our new Gadgets
Good morning all! It's a beautiful day out here in Hutchinson, Minnesota and I am on day 3 of my time here. I am really enjoying it. Thanks to all of you have tried to get in touch with me about getting together. I haven't forgotten about you, I really just needed to get on the ground and reclaim my sanity. I have had beautiful weather and while I have been working on a few logistical items, it is a huge relief to just have some time to relax with family. I'm excited for Brian to arrive this weekend and for our trip to the State Fair!!
Since I last wrote, we have a couple of new gadgets in our apartment, which I'm very excited about. The first unique gadget that I have to share with you is the Magic Jack:
Since I last wrote, we have a couple of new gadgets in our apartment, which I'm very excited about. The first unique gadget that I have to share with you is the Magic Jack:
This little device can travel with us anywhere in the world. All we have to do is plug it into a USB port and we can receive phone calls on our very own Minnesota number. We just plug a regular cordless phone into the other end of it and it works like a normal phone line. It's pretty cool. We've been testing it out and the call quality is fantastic. If we have the computer off or closed, the phone will go to voicemail, which we can check either on the phone or through email. It's pretty amazing. We'll be distributing the number privately to those who are interested.
The second device, as many of you may have guessed, is our GPS device. We have heard that this is a really great tool the first couple of weeks in Venezuela. It allows you to record locations you have been to that you may want to visit on your own in the future so you can find your way there without always having to have someone familiar with the neighborhood tag along.
Outside of our new gadgets, we have been receiving reports about shortages. The latest reports are showing shortages of sugar, coffee, rice and toilet paper. Aside from the obvious necessity of toilet paper, any of you who know us well know that the item that most concerns us from that list is coffee. I was shocked to hear about the coffee shortage, but apparently it relates to strained trade relations with Colombia in recent weeks. I guess we'll be stocking up on some Archer Farms Breakfast Blend when we leave and hoping for care packages with coffee in them!!!
Looking forward to seeing many of you on this trip and during our October visit.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
He Said: Ends, Beginnings, & Reminders
Well, I know it's a little unfair that a little less than two weeks ago Steph entered that I would be taking my final Spanish test and that I'd wait until now to officially post the results. BUT, I wanted to be able to contribute a little more than just an announcement, so here's my attempt at a review with some insight:
Ends:
As Steph preluded to, yes, my final Spanish test was two weeks ago. Please notice that I said "final." Yes, I passed!! It's hard to believe that after 17 weeks of language training I was capable of going from almost nothing to having the ability to converse and hold up my end of the conversation. While it was very exciting to finish my test and feel the great accomplishment of having completed language training, it was also very sad to leave the halls of the Spanish department. I will definitely miss my old schedule, the same thing everyday of getting up at a decent time (6:30), going to class, studying, short lunch, class, studying the rest of the afternoon, and then practicing my conversation with Steph at night when I could. It's amazing how comfortable a schedule can be, and I will actually *miss* the structure... I can't believe I actually just said that... wow, how times have changed.
Beginnings:
As you've probably picked up in my posts over the months, there usually really isn't any messing around when it comes to scheduling training within the State Department. So of course in classic style, I finished my Spanish training on a Tuesday and began my job training on Wednesday morning at 8:30 am. Right now I am in the basic consular course, affectionately named "ConGen" within the Foreign Service. The purpose of this six week course is to give us officers the basic legal and institutional knowledge to be able to do our jobs once we've gotten on the ground in country. For me, being the policy geek that I was in a past life, it is really interesting to be carrying around the text of the Immigration and Nationality Act to be able to do my job. Those of you that have been following the blog will note that this is the same class that Steph took and aced so many weeks ago. I guess it's an expectation that I will follow in her footsteps, but of course I've just gotta get the job done too.
The loss of a set schedule has been tough, but luckily (and yes I am saying luckily) there is enough work that I am able to keep an 8-4ish day of sorts. I miss the consistency of my language schedule, but appreciate the variety. Any given day I can be learning new computer applications that I'll be using at post, studying immigration statutes, or even conducting roleplays to simulate situations I may be faced with once we are in Venezuela. The broad spectrum of things that I may face in this position are definitely intriguing. I'll keep you posted as the class progresses, but please wish me luck!
Reminders:
Since my last post there have many things that I have been reminded of and wanted to reflect on briefly.
Spanish: Looking back, I have to say that I was really lucky during my Spanish training. To be able to go from almost nothing to competent in 17 weeks really was an accomplishment. I know that I have to attribute much of that to the amount of work I put into learning the language, but I was also extremely lucky to have the professors that I did during my time in language. I can honestly say that each professor I had contributed something significant to my learning. Be it helping me grasp the grammar rules, or gaining the ability to control the language with a limited vocab, I am amazed when I now get into a conversation in Spanish with a native speaker and can hold up my end. I have said many times that I was looking forward to the moment that I could finally speak. Now, I'm looking forward to the ability to USE the language. Also, one more thing I have to recognize; I am EXTREMELY lucky to have Steph in my life to practice and help me with my Spanish. She has always been my motivation in learning this language, and to be at the end of one road, learning, and moving forward together from here on out operating in a second language will be a real treat. I am so blessed to have her in my life and can't wait for this adventure. A major goal in our lives...achieved!
Reasoning: The other thing I am reminded of often when we are here in DC is the reason we got into this life in the first place; service to country. I have always been a big believer in national service, and being here in DC for training has provided me with many reminders of why this job is important to me. This past Sunday Steph and I ran down to the Memorial Bridge connecting DC to Arlington Cemetary to see the funeral procession for Senator Ted Kennedy. All politics aside, the spontaneous show of respect and patriotism to him and his family as the funeral procession went by (with people clapping, waving, and showing their American flags) was awe inspiring. It reminded me of how lucky we are to be Americans and that I have a whole lot to be thankful and give back for. I remember way back over three years ago when I began this process I thought that consular work was similar to working in the DMV. After learning more about the possibilities of stopping terrorism, protecting the American public from individuals that shouldn't be here, and providing services to Americans abroad, I realize there's a lot more to the job than just pushing paper. I'm glad to know that by doing my job overseas I'll be able to say thank you, for everything I gain and have gained as an American, everyday.
Ends:
As Steph preluded to, yes, my final Spanish test was two weeks ago. Please notice that I said "final." Yes, I passed!! It's hard to believe that after 17 weeks of language training I was capable of going from almost nothing to having the ability to converse and hold up my end of the conversation. While it was very exciting to finish my test and feel the great accomplishment of having completed language training, it was also very sad to leave the halls of the Spanish department. I will definitely miss my old schedule, the same thing everyday of getting up at a decent time (6:30), going to class, studying, short lunch, class, studying the rest of the afternoon, and then practicing my conversation with Steph at night when I could. It's amazing how comfortable a schedule can be, and I will actually *miss* the structure... I can't believe I actually just said that... wow, how times have changed.
Beginnings:
As you've probably picked up in my posts over the months, there usually really isn't any messing around when it comes to scheduling training within the State Department. So of course in classic style, I finished my Spanish training on a Tuesday and began my job training on Wednesday morning at 8:30 am. Right now I am in the basic consular course, affectionately named "ConGen" within the Foreign Service. The purpose of this six week course is to give us officers the basic legal and institutional knowledge to be able to do our jobs once we've gotten on the ground in country. For me, being the policy geek that I was in a past life, it is really interesting to be carrying around the text of the Immigration and Nationality Act to be able to do my job. Those of you that have been following the blog will note that this is the same class that Steph took and aced so many weeks ago. I guess it's an expectation that I will follow in her footsteps, but of course I've just gotta get the job done too.
The loss of a set schedule has been tough, but luckily (and yes I am saying luckily) there is enough work that I am able to keep an 8-4ish day of sorts. I miss the consistency of my language schedule, but appreciate the variety. Any given day I can be learning new computer applications that I'll be using at post, studying immigration statutes, or even conducting roleplays to simulate situations I may be faced with once we are in Venezuela. The broad spectrum of things that I may face in this position are definitely intriguing. I'll keep you posted as the class progresses, but please wish me luck!
Reminders:
Since my last post there have many things that I have been reminded of and wanted to reflect on briefly.
Spanish: Looking back, I have to say that I was really lucky during my Spanish training. To be able to go from almost nothing to competent in 17 weeks really was an accomplishment. I know that I have to attribute much of that to the amount of work I put into learning the language, but I was also extremely lucky to have the professors that I did during my time in language. I can honestly say that each professor I had contributed something significant to my learning. Be it helping me grasp the grammar rules, or gaining the ability to control the language with a limited vocab, I am amazed when I now get into a conversation in Spanish with a native speaker and can hold up my end. I have said many times that I was looking forward to the moment that I could finally speak. Now, I'm looking forward to the ability to USE the language. Also, one more thing I have to recognize; I am EXTREMELY lucky to have Steph in my life to practice and help me with my Spanish. She has always been my motivation in learning this language, and to be at the end of one road, learning, and moving forward together from here on out operating in a second language will be a real treat. I am so blessed to have her in my life and can't wait for this adventure. A major goal in our lives...achieved!
Reasoning: The other thing I am reminded of often when we are here in DC is the reason we got into this life in the first place; service to country. I have always been a big believer in national service, and being here in DC for training has provided me with many reminders of why this job is important to me. This past Sunday Steph and I ran down to the Memorial Bridge connecting DC to Arlington Cemetary to see the funeral procession for Senator Ted Kennedy. All politics aside, the spontaneous show of respect and patriotism to him and his family as the funeral procession went by (with people clapping, waving, and showing their American flags) was awe inspiring. It reminded me of how lucky we are to be Americans and that I have a whole lot to be thankful and give back for. I remember way back over three years ago when I began this process I thought that consular work was similar to working in the DMV. After learning more about the possibilities of stopping terrorism, protecting the American public from individuals that shouldn't be here, and providing services to Americans abroad, I realize there's a lot more to the job than just pushing paper. I'm glad to know that by doing my job overseas I'll be able to say thank you, for everything I gain and have gained as an American, everyday.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
She Said: Preparations Continue
Yes, yes, I know, my once a week promise has become a once a month posting. I'm working on it. No complaining, because I assure you that when we get to Venezuela it will probably be a once a day posting for a while. We will have lots to share.
We have had visitors the past couple of weeks. My sister came and spent a couple of weeks with us and most recently Brian's sister and her family came to see the city. We had a blast with all of them! I can't tell you how fun it was to just have the time to hang out and visit. I think some of my favorite moments were sitting in the hot tub and taking the kids to the pool. It was great!!!
Today is a huge day for Brian. As I am writing this, he is taking his Spanish test. I am so excited for him to have this day behind him. I know from talking with him (yes folks, he is fluently speaking another language after only 16 weeks of training) that he is at the level he needs to be at, but I am still very nervous for him as it is a formal test. I can't wait to hear from him in a couple of hours and have that stress behind us. I am sending good luck vibes his way. I'm sure he will be blogging soon, so you can all hear about what's up next for him.
Our departure date is coming up quickly and we are in full force with logistics. Brian and I each have a notebook that we carry around to jot down the random thoughts that pop into our heads for the to do list. I am tracking consumable products that we want to take with us including toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, hair products, hand soap and various other random things on a calendar so that we can have a rough estimate of how much we will need for two years. I realized that Brian and I have been talking about this a lot and probably haven't explained why we would bring those things with us. After all, they do sell shampoo and hand soap in Venezuela. Yes, they do, but there are a few issues you can run into. First, there is a problem with rolling shortages in Venezuela. On any given day you might go to the store only to discover that there is a shortage on toilet paper and you may not be able to find it again for several months. Secondly, even when you can find things like shampoo and hand soap, they may be very expensive. Most products in Venezuela (with the exception of gasoline) are imported and are much more expensive, particularly if you're looking for a specific brand. Finally, you may not be able to find the brand or quality that you are used to. This doesn't mean that we will be transporting everything we own in mass quantities overseas, but rather that we are choosing things that are important to us and make us feel at home that we'll need and stocking up on those. That is basically what life is like for us right now. The job search is currently on hold as I sort through what the reality of my options on the ground are and explore some options at the embassy.
I just finished ordering a "Magic Jack". I'll give you the full review once it gets here, but I'm excited to try it out. Can't wait to see some of you soon on my trip to MN!! Brian and I plan to make ourselves sick by eating two years' worth of fair food in one day. Pronto pups, mini donuts and cheese curds for all!
We have had visitors the past couple of weeks. My sister came and spent a couple of weeks with us and most recently Brian's sister and her family came to see the city. We had a blast with all of them! I can't tell you how fun it was to just have the time to hang out and visit. I think some of my favorite moments were sitting in the hot tub and taking the kids to the pool. It was great!!!
Today is a huge day for Brian. As I am writing this, he is taking his Spanish test. I am so excited for him to have this day behind him. I know from talking with him (yes folks, he is fluently speaking another language after only 16 weeks of training) that he is at the level he needs to be at, but I am still very nervous for him as it is a formal test. I can't wait to hear from him in a couple of hours and have that stress behind us. I am sending good luck vibes his way. I'm sure he will be blogging soon, so you can all hear about what's up next for him.
Our departure date is coming up quickly and we are in full force with logistics. Brian and I each have a notebook that we carry around to jot down the random thoughts that pop into our heads for the to do list. I am tracking consumable products that we want to take with us including toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, hair products, hand soap and various other random things on a calendar so that we can have a rough estimate of how much we will need for two years. I realized that Brian and I have been talking about this a lot and probably haven't explained why we would bring those things with us. After all, they do sell shampoo and hand soap in Venezuela. Yes, they do, but there are a few issues you can run into. First, there is a problem with rolling shortages in Venezuela. On any given day you might go to the store only to discover that there is a shortage on toilet paper and you may not be able to find it again for several months. Secondly, even when you can find things like shampoo and hand soap, they may be very expensive. Most products in Venezuela (with the exception of gasoline) are imported and are much more expensive, particularly if you're looking for a specific brand. Finally, you may not be able to find the brand or quality that you are used to. This doesn't mean that we will be transporting everything we own in mass quantities overseas, but rather that we are choosing things that are important to us and make us feel at home that we'll need and stocking up on those. That is basically what life is like for us right now. The job search is currently on hold as I sort through what the reality of my options on the ground are and explore some options at the embassy.
I just finished ordering a "Magic Jack". I'll give you the full review once it gets here, but I'm excited to try it out. Can't wait to see some of you soon on my trip to MN!! Brian and I plan to make ourselves sick by eating two years' worth of fair food in one day. Pronto pups, mini donuts and cheese curds for all!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
He Said: Reality Setting In
Well, I just realized that it has been four weeks since my last post. I think I've said this before, but it's almost surreal how normal life here in DC has become again. Steph and I were driving down Route 50 the other day after running some errands on our way back to Rosslyn. I mentioned to her how strange it was to be exiting at Rosslyn to head home, but yet then again, how "normal" it felt. So strange to think that you could live in the same place twice but have such a different experience each time around. I guess that's the way we're always going to feel as we move through this career, as we'll have to return to DC each time between tours, and of course the impending "DC tour" where you work a position here at "Main State."
I really can't believe that it's been a month since I last posted, but to be completely honest, in my mind it feels as though it's only been about a week. In the past four weeks I've definitely felt a huge progression in my Spanish skills. I've been working about 8-9 hours a day (including class time) to keep moving forward, and Steph and I have implemented a "mandatory" Spanish hour in our apartment to give me just that much more practice. My final examination for Spanish is coming in two weeks, and I can definitely feel the pressure now. 18 weeks is pretty quick to "master" Spanish, but I think I'm going to be able to do it. Additionally, to make things interesting, I had a terrible evaluation about a week ago. My performance definitely did not reflect my true ability, but I took a huge confidence hit when my learning consultant told me his perception of my Spanish skills. Thus, I put in the extra effort this week and had a mini-session with my learning consultant yesterday. He told me, "Usted ha mejorado claramente" (you have clearly improved), which was exactly what I needed to hear. At this point, it's almost unreal to think back to where my Spanish was 16 weeks ago (almost nonexistent) and where I am today. I was a little shocked a couple days ago when I watched an entire speech given by Hugo Chavez and understood about 90% without Spanish subtitles or English translation... now if I can just communicate face-to-face. It will be interesting to use a language full time for the first time ever. In the past, I've only been able to live vicariously through Steph's experiences, so I am definitely looking forward to being able to share this with her for once.
Other than continuing to progress in Spanish, the thing that has changed for me the most in the last month is the feeling that our adventure is becoming real. This month we picked up our diplomatic passports. That was the one thing that really hit me, when I opened up the envelope and read the stamp that said I was traveling on "official US Govt business" I almost got butterflies in my stomach. To top it all off, Steph and I have re-entered the world of logistics to get ready for post. When I was living out here and Steph was still in Minnesota, I think I mentioned in the blog the crazy amount of logistical things that had to be done just to get her to DC. Well, at the 3 month mark the clock began again, and a new to-do list was formed. Lately we've been tracking our toilet paper use, the non-perishable foods we eat on a regular basis, and the personal products we use regularly. Steph even bought a calendar just for this. To think that we're getting ready to buy and ship a year's worth of stuff is almost uncanny, but such is the life of an FSO.
This week we also attended yet another "wheels-up" party to say good bye to my classmates that are leaving in August. One of my friends leaves for Caracas this month. It was so strange to not have to say good bye to him, but rather "see you in a few months buddy." The reality that we would not only be meeting on the flip-side, but also that the flip-side will be Venezuela hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm getting excited, nervous, anxious, and a whole mix of other emotions. All in all, I really think that we're just getting ready to go and that both Steph and I want to get out of DC. We've really been enjoying a little bit of "normalcy" (depending on your definition), but it's time for this adventure to continue.
Brian
I really can't believe that it's been a month since I last posted, but to be completely honest, in my mind it feels as though it's only been about a week. In the past four weeks I've definitely felt a huge progression in my Spanish skills. I've been working about 8-9 hours a day (including class time) to keep moving forward, and Steph and I have implemented a "mandatory" Spanish hour in our apartment to give me just that much more practice. My final examination for Spanish is coming in two weeks, and I can definitely feel the pressure now. 18 weeks is pretty quick to "master" Spanish, but I think I'm going to be able to do it. Additionally, to make things interesting, I had a terrible evaluation about a week ago. My performance definitely did not reflect my true ability, but I took a huge confidence hit when my learning consultant told me his perception of my Spanish skills. Thus, I put in the extra effort this week and had a mini-session with my learning consultant yesterday. He told me, "Usted ha mejorado claramente" (you have clearly improved), which was exactly what I needed to hear. At this point, it's almost unreal to think back to where my Spanish was 16 weeks ago (almost nonexistent) and where I am today. I was a little shocked a couple days ago when I watched an entire speech given by Hugo Chavez and understood about 90% without Spanish subtitles or English translation... now if I can just communicate face-to-face. It will be interesting to use a language full time for the first time ever. In the past, I've only been able to live vicariously through Steph's experiences, so I am definitely looking forward to being able to share this with her for once.
Other than continuing to progress in Spanish, the thing that has changed for me the most in the last month is the feeling that our adventure is becoming real. This month we picked up our diplomatic passports. That was the one thing that really hit me, when I opened up the envelope and read the stamp that said I was traveling on "official US Govt business" I almost got butterflies in my stomach. To top it all off, Steph and I have re-entered the world of logistics to get ready for post. When I was living out here and Steph was still in Minnesota, I think I mentioned in the blog the crazy amount of logistical things that had to be done just to get her to DC. Well, at the 3 month mark the clock began again, and a new to-do list was formed. Lately we've been tracking our toilet paper use, the non-perishable foods we eat on a regular basis, and the personal products we use regularly. Steph even bought a calendar just for this. To think that we're getting ready to buy and ship a year's worth of stuff is almost uncanny, but such is the life of an FSO.
This week we also attended yet another "wheels-up" party to say good bye to my classmates that are leaving in August. One of my friends leaves for Caracas this month. It was so strange to not have to say good bye to him, but rather "see you in a few months buddy." The reality that we would not only be meeting on the flip-side, but also that the flip-side will be Venezuela hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm getting excited, nervous, anxious, and a whole mix of other emotions. All in all, I really think that we're just getting ready to go and that both Steph and I want to get out of DC. We've really been enjoying a little bit of "normalcy" (depending on your definition), but it's time for this adventure to continue.
Brian
Sunday, July 12, 2009
She Said: Life Abroad Becomes Tangible
Let me start by offering my sincere apologies to those who were waiting for my weekly post last week. I failed at blogging last week. I had a big test for my class and therefore I didn't find the time to write, my apologies. We have definitely had a lot going on the last couple of weeks.
Yesterday we had the second "wheels up" party for Brian's class. It's funny how hearing people talk about "what they'll do to get their ice cream fix in Nigeria next week" and "their new home in Moldova" makes it so much more real. It is a bigger group of people leaving this time, so it kind of stopped me dead in my tracks and made me realize how tangible this is becoming. It's a bit frightening, and exciting all at the same time.
The going away party yesterday was hosted at our apartment building, so we were busy. We had a great time and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Brian and I do love entertaining, and the FS is a great outlet for that. Here's a sampling of what we've been up to the past couple of weeks:
Trip to Baltimore-Last weekend we went up to Baltimore to meet up with some really close friends of ours that still live out here. We had an absolute blast, and the aquarium was much more fun than I anticipated. I recommend it to anyone who is in the area. They have tons of sea life there including a huge turtle and lots of sharks. It was fun!
Welcome 146th- The 146th A-100 class has started at FSI and Brian and his colleagues are the welcoming committee for them. Last week we attended a happy hour to welcome them and get to know them. It was really interesting to talk to some of them and to reflect on how much our perspective has changed since March. I remember putting together our bid list and I remember all the emotions, research, thoughts, and discussions that we went through. I listen to all of them doing the same now, and I realized how different my perspective is now faced with our reality in contrast to "what might be." It's not something you can tell someone. It's a very personal journey that each person has to go through. Facing the challenges and the personal questions for your family is the only way to really feel confident about your bids. It was fun to hear about all the possibilities for the new officers.
H Street Country Club- A new hot spot in DC. This is the first indoor mini golf course in Washington, DC. It contains tons of local references, such as "the Awakening", which is transformed with the face of Marion Barry. It is one of the new trendy spots in town in a very transitional neighborhood in NE DC. We played a round of mini golf and then headed downstairs to see if we could reserve a shuffleboard table. We had so much fun I've even mentioned purchasing a shuffleboard table for Venezuela to Brian. We'll see where that goes...
4th of July in DC- Another 4th in DC. I always love celebrating the 4th in the nation's capital. There's something about seeing the spectacular fireworks over the capitol and the monuments that is absolutely magical. We spent the evening having a picnic with some good friends of ours on the Iwo Jima hill and watched the fireworks from there.
Brunch at Founding Farmers- Today we had brunch, again with some friends at a restaurant called Founding Farmers. It's a LEED certified building and the theme is organic and local. It sits right next to the International monetary fund, near where Brian and I went to grad. school. I have to say, I was less than impressed. The food was ok, but it wasn't outstanding and the service was less than
Trips booked- The final thing we did this week was make our plans to come home in October. The date is finalized for our arrival in Caracas and everything is really starting to fall into place. Given that we have unlocked our blog for public viewing, I am not going to post the dates here, but please do reach out to us individually if you'd like to know the dates. We'll be in touch as we get closer to find time to connect with friends/family. I think our families are going to help us out with a going away party so we can have a chance to see lots of extended family and lots of friends all in one place before we go. More details to come.
Yesterday we had the second "wheels up" party for Brian's class. It's funny how hearing people talk about "what they'll do to get their ice cream fix in Nigeria next week" and "their new home in Moldova" makes it so much more real. It is a bigger group of people leaving this time, so it kind of stopped me dead in my tracks and made me realize how tangible this is becoming. It's a bit frightening, and exciting all at the same time.
The going away party yesterday was hosted at our apartment building, so we were busy. We had a great time and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Brian and I do love entertaining, and the FS is a great outlet for that. Here's a sampling of what we've been up to the past couple of weeks:
Trip to Baltimore-Last weekend we went up to Baltimore to meet up with some really close friends of ours that still live out here. We had an absolute blast, and the aquarium was much more fun than I anticipated. I recommend it to anyone who is in the area. They have tons of sea life there including a huge turtle and lots of sharks. It was fun!
Welcome 146th- The 146th A-100 class has started at FSI and Brian and his colleagues are the welcoming committee for them. Last week we attended a happy hour to welcome them and get to know them. It was really interesting to talk to some of them and to reflect on how much our perspective has changed since March. I remember putting together our bid list and I remember all the emotions, research, thoughts, and discussions that we went through. I listen to all of them doing the same now, and I realized how different my perspective is now faced with our reality in contrast to "what might be." It's not something you can tell someone. It's a very personal journey that each person has to go through. Facing the challenges and the personal questions for your family is the only way to really feel confident about your bids. It was fun to hear about all the possibilities for the new officers.
H Street Country Club- A new hot spot in DC. This is the first indoor mini golf course in Washington, DC. It contains tons of local references, such as "the Awakening", which is transformed with the face of Marion Barry. It is one of the new trendy spots in town in a very transitional neighborhood in NE DC. We played a round of mini golf and then headed downstairs to see if we could reserve a shuffleboard table. We had so much fun I've even mentioned purchasing a shuffleboard table for Venezuela to Brian. We'll see where that goes...
4th of July in DC- Another 4th in DC. I always love celebrating the 4th in the nation's capital. There's something about seeing the spectacular fireworks over the capitol and the monuments that is absolutely magical. We spent the evening having a picnic with some good friends of ours on the Iwo Jima hill and watched the fireworks from there.
Brunch at Founding Farmers- Today we had brunch, again with some friends at a restaurant called Founding Farmers. It's a LEED certified building and the theme is organic and local. It sits right next to the International monetary fund, near where Brian and I went to grad. school. I have to say, I was less than impressed. The food was ok, but it wasn't outstanding and the service was less than
Trips booked- The final thing we did this week was make our plans to come home in October. The date is finalized for our arrival in Caracas and everything is really starting to fall into place. Given that we have unlocked our blog for public viewing, I am not going to post the dates here, but please do reach out to us individually if you'd like to know the dates. We'll be in touch as we get closer to find time to connect with friends/family. I think our families are going to help us out with a going away party so we can have a chance to see lots of extended family and lots of friends all in one place before we go. More details to come.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
He Said: Poco a Poco
A long time ago in one of my posts I talked about how much I was looking forward to getting to the 10th week of my Spanish training because that was supposed to be a point at which things usually "clicked" for most students. Well, it took a little counting today for me to realize that last week was that 10th week, and that I really do feel as though things are "clicking." It is so weird to think about how fast time has flown by since we started this journey. How many great things have occurred, and how much Steph and I have grown through this whole process.
I really have been impressed by the language training at FSI. To think of where I was 10 weeks ago, and where I am now is somewhat unfathomable. I realize that I have been working and studying hard, but I definitely have to hand it to the instructors and the teaching methods used to get me to where I am today.
In one of my recent individualization sessions with my current professor, I recently reviewed the "Imperfect Subjunctive," a verb tense that is often considered horrible by many students because it's used to indicate doubt, unsure action, commands, and other things, but in the past. For example, I recently translated "We had to make a car do three things that day." This sentence seems straightforward, but in Spanish, the word for to make and to do is the same... enter the subjunctive! This form often gets a bad rap (I really didn't think it was that bad), but the real reason I am mentioning it is because it is the final verb tense I will learn in Spanish. It was crazy to walk out of that session realizing that from here on out I will no longer be working on verbs, but rather learning phrases, idioms, and other common language forms, rather than figuring out how to connect anything... basically from here on out I'll be working on review and mastering what I do know. In essence, the road forward. It's an exciting and scary prospect, but I know that deep down I am gearing up and really ready to begin using my skills... funny that this connects to the post from way back when I said I couldn't wait to just get to week 10.
On another note, it has been so nice having Steph here in DC with me to share all of this. It has been so much better having another person in the apartment and someone to share all my stories (and now experiences with). I think we both realize often how this really truly is OUR journey and that we each have a contribution to it. I've definitely enjoyed our shared time at FSI during the day and having lunch together when possible. I'm also grateful to have someone at home to practice my Spanish with, as well as someone to show my homework to (like a school child looking for praise from their parents).
As we begin to watch our new friends head off to their first assignments, it really brings a sense of anticipation for us both. I know we'll be ready, but in the end we need to take this one step at a time and little by little... or as they say in Spanish, "poco a poco."
I really have been impressed by the language training at FSI. To think of where I was 10 weeks ago, and where I am now is somewhat unfathomable. I realize that I have been working and studying hard, but I definitely have to hand it to the instructors and the teaching methods used to get me to where I am today.
In one of my recent individualization sessions with my current professor, I recently reviewed the "Imperfect Subjunctive," a verb tense that is often considered horrible by many students because it's used to indicate doubt, unsure action, commands, and other things, but in the past. For example, I recently translated "We had to make a car do three things that day." This sentence seems straightforward, but in Spanish, the word for to make and to do is the same... enter the subjunctive! This form often gets a bad rap (I really didn't think it was that bad), but the real reason I am mentioning it is because it is the final verb tense I will learn in Spanish. It was crazy to walk out of that session realizing that from here on out I will no longer be working on verbs, but rather learning phrases, idioms, and other common language forms, rather than figuring out how to connect anything... basically from here on out I'll be working on review and mastering what I do know. In essence, the road forward. It's an exciting and scary prospect, but I know that deep down I am gearing up and really ready to begin using my skills... funny that this connects to the post from way back when I said I couldn't wait to just get to week 10.
On another note, it has been so nice having Steph here in DC with me to share all of this. It has been so much better having another person in the apartment and someone to share all my stories (and now experiences with). I think we both realize often how this really truly is OUR journey and that we each have a contribution to it. I've definitely enjoyed our shared time at FSI during the day and having lunch together when possible. I'm also grateful to have someone at home to practice my Spanish with, as well as someone to show my homework to (like a school child looking for praise from their parents).
As we begin to watch our new friends head off to their first assignments, it really brings a sense of anticipation for us both. I know we'll be ready, but in the end we need to take this one step at a time and little by little... or as they say in Spanish, "poco a poco."
Sunday, June 21, 2009
She Said: Father's Day Weekend
The past week has been EXTREMELY FULL and it has been a blast. I'm going to try and recap the things that most stand out for the last week for us. By far the most notable event of the week was our trip to Minnesota. We flew in Friday evening and we just got back tonight, Sunday night. We celebrated father's day with our dads and were able to pack a lot of quality family time into a short weekend. Brian and I both agreed that it was one of the best trips we've ever had home. On Saturday, our families got together for a pool party at my parents' house. It was so fun to swim with the kids and have time to just relax with everyone. It was hard to leave and think about heading to class tomorrow, but I think more than anything it has made us really look forward to our next trip home in September.
Aside from that, which truly was the shining event this past week, here are some of the things we've been up to:
Connecting with old friends - Last week we went to a gathering of some of my old grad. school friends. It was great to reconnect with classmates after being away for a while. It honestly felt like we had never been apart and I was reminded of one of the reasons I absolutely loved living in DC...people who are interested in the same kinds of things I am. In addition to connecting with grad. school friends, I randomly discovered that one of my high school friends now manages a running store in Cleveland Park (right by where Brian and I used to live). We had a good laugh when we saw each other and vowed to keep in touch. We are now good facebook friends :-)
Indian food - Brian and I ventured out to find a fantastic Indian restaurant near our apartment. It was our first time having Indian food in a restaurant. We had had Indian food served in homes, but just never from a restaurant. We really liked it Brian was particularly fond of the spicy flavors. I think we will be returning soon for more curry. It was awesome!
FS Prom - Some of you have already heard/seen pictures of what the foreign service officers have affectionately coined "the prom." Basically it was a cocktail party put on by Brian's class with the extra money they had from their dues. It was a blast!! It gave me an excuse to buy a new cocktail dress (which I'm sure I will use many more times once we're overseas) and everyone had fun getting dressed up and getting together. The event was put on at The City Tavern Club, which is a private club in Georgetown set in an old row house. It was a really neat venue. If you haven't seen our pics. and you're interested, just let me know and I can send them your way.
Wheels up party #1 of 91- We attended our first "wheels up party". Wheels up parties are the going away parties A-100 classes host for each other. Ok, I don't really think there will be 91 parties, but that's how many new officers there are from Brian's class. Brian's first classmates will be heading out this week. One leaves for Sudan, another for Saudi Arabia and a third for India. It was exciting and surreal all at the same time. I could tell they were a bit in shock as I'm sure we all will be as we face our new realities.
My First Interview - More to come on this as I don't have a lot of details yet. I interviewed for a position at the Embassy working with the English Language teaching program as a coordinator. I would help coordinate young Americans that come down to Venezuela to teach English. It sounds like a very interesting job. I didn't think the interview went very well, so we'll see what happens, but I should have more info. by Wednesday of this week.
Exam - I had my first test in Congen. I got 100%, so I guess I didn't need to worry about passing. Cross your fingers for me for this week. I have another test on Thursday.
Venezuela Happy Hour - On Thursday night we had an opportunity to speak with some people who just came back from Caracas. We got a lot of information. It helped me to begin to get an idea of what life will be like down there. I have to admit, we were a little overwhelmed by some of the warnings they gave us about crime in Caracas. It sounds like there is a lot of "crime of opportunity" and you really have to employ as many safeguards as possible. I think we can really only assess the situation once we're on the ground, but it is good for us to know going into it. Overall, all of them said that they greatly enjoyed their time down there and that overall it was a good experience. It sounds like there will be lots of fun embassy parties and trips and like it is easy to travel while you are there.
That's the update for this past week. It was great to see those of you we had a chance to see this weekend. Hope to connect with more of you while we're home in September. Take care!
Aside from that, which truly was the shining event this past week, here are some of the things we've been up to:
Connecting with old friends - Last week we went to a gathering of some of my old grad. school friends. It was great to reconnect with classmates after being away for a while. It honestly felt like we had never been apart and I was reminded of one of the reasons I absolutely loved living in DC...people who are interested in the same kinds of things I am. In addition to connecting with grad. school friends, I randomly discovered that one of my high school friends now manages a running store in Cleveland Park (right by where Brian and I used to live). We had a good laugh when we saw each other and vowed to keep in touch. We are now good facebook friends :-)
Indian food - Brian and I ventured out to find a fantastic Indian restaurant near our apartment. It was our first time having Indian food in a restaurant. We had had Indian food served in homes, but just never from a restaurant. We really liked it Brian was particularly fond of the spicy flavors. I think we will be returning soon for more curry. It was awesome!
FS Prom - Some of you have already heard/seen pictures of what the foreign service officers have affectionately coined "the prom." Basically it was a cocktail party put on by Brian's class with the extra money they had from their dues. It was a blast!! It gave me an excuse to buy a new cocktail dress (which I'm sure I will use many more times once we're overseas) and everyone had fun getting dressed up and getting together. The event was put on at The City Tavern Club, which is a private club in Georgetown set in an old row house. It was a really neat venue. If you haven't seen our pics. and you're interested, just let me know and I can send them your way.
Wheels up party #1 of 91- We attended our first "wheels up party". Wheels up parties are the going away parties A-100 classes host for each other. Ok, I don't really think there will be 91 parties, but that's how many new officers there are from Brian's class. Brian's first classmates will be heading out this week. One leaves for Sudan, another for Saudi Arabia and a third for India. It was exciting and surreal all at the same time. I could tell they were a bit in shock as I'm sure we all will be as we face our new realities.
My First Interview - More to come on this as I don't have a lot of details yet. I interviewed for a position at the Embassy working with the English Language teaching program as a coordinator. I would help coordinate young Americans that come down to Venezuela to teach English. It sounds like a very interesting job. I didn't think the interview went very well, so we'll see what happens, but I should have more info. by Wednesday of this week.
Exam - I had my first test in Congen. I got 100%, so I guess I didn't need to worry about passing. Cross your fingers for me for this week. I have another test on Thursday.
Venezuela Happy Hour - On Thursday night we had an opportunity to speak with some people who just came back from Caracas. We got a lot of information. It helped me to begin to get an idea of what life will be like down there. I have to admit, we were a little overwhelmed by some of the warnings they gave us about crime in Caracas. It sounds like there is a lot of "crime of opportunity" and you really have to employ as many safeguards as possible. I think we can really only assess the situation once we're on the ground, but it is good for us to know going into it. Overall, all of them said that they greatly enjoyed their time down there and that overall it was a good experience. It sounds like there will be lots of fun embassy parties and trips and like it is easy to travel while you are there.
That's the update for this past week. It was great to see those of you we had a chance to see this weekend. Hope to connect with more of you while we're home in September. Take care!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
She Said: Relaxation Ends, Class Begins!
Hello,
You thought we had forgotten about you, didn't you? Some of you have written me to let me know that our blog post is way overdue, but the truth is, there hasn't been that much new news to share with you. Things are picking up again, so I wanted to get a post in now and then I promise they will be more frequent from here on out.
Over the past few weeks, I have really enjoyed my time off. I spent time baking bread, baking bars for dinner guests, cold brewing coffee, sleeping in, catching up with old friends, shopping and just generally relaxing. I had a blast! It's true that some days were lonely, but I really was thankful for the time that I had.
Aside from my adventures in being unemployed, Brian and I have also had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people who are sharing a similar adventure, just heading to different locations. It has been really fun to have some of them over for dinner or to go out on the town with them and share our concerns/excitement. I can already see that some of these people will be lifelong friends no matter where our families end up.
Today I started my class at the foreign service institute and it was really interesting. The course I am taking will give me the background I would need to apply for consular assistant positions at the embassy overseas. There's never a guarantee of a job, but for me it's basically just another opportunity. If there were a position open in Caracas, I would be qualified to apply for it. Because I have the Spanish and the work sounds interesting, it seemed like a great opportunity. We will learn all about visas, passports and how consular sections help Americans overseas. It's actually pretty amazing to really stop and think about all they do in a day. The class runs every day from 9:00-5:00 roughly, so Brian and I get to commute together and even have lunch together some days. I'm excited about being busy again and having something to look forward to each day.
On Saturday Brian and I have our first FS cocktail party. I bought a new dress this week and am very excited. I think it should be a good time. Other than that, I've been really just trying to enjoy the moment. We are kind of in a strange limbo right now where we can't do a whole lot to prepare for leaving yet, but feel like we should be doing something.
Alright, I could give you the details of my daily life for the last few weeks, but the post would be much too long, so I'll leave with what I've shared above. I commit to writing at least once a week from here on it so that it's a little more predictable for those of you who are randomly checking in. Don't forget you can subscribe to the updates if you don't want to keep checking our blog every day.
You thought we had forgotten about you, didn't you? Some of you have written me to let me know that our blog post is way overdue, but the truth is, there hasn't been that much new news to share with you. Things are picking up again, so I wanted to get a post in now and then I promise they will be more frequent from here on out.
Over the past few weeks, I have really enjoyed my time off. I spent time baking bread, baking bars for dinner guests, cold brewing coffee, sleeping in, catching up with old friends, shopping and just generally relaxing. I had a blast! It's true that some days were lonely, but I really was thankful for the time that I had.
Aside from my adventures in being unemployed, Brian and I have also had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people who are sharing a similar adventure, just heading to different locations. It has been really fun to have some of them over for dinner or to go out on the town with them and share our concerns/excitement. I can already see that some of these people will be lifelong friends no matter where our families end up.
Today I started my class at the foreign service institute and it was really interesting. The course I am taking will give me the background I would need to apply for consular assistant positions at the embassy overseas. There's never a guarantee of a job, but for me it's basically just another opportunity. If there were a position open in Caracas, I would be qualified to apply for it. Because I have the Spanish and the work sounds interesting, it seemed like a great opportunity. We will learn all about visas, passports and how consular sections help Americans overseas. It's actually pretty amazing to really stop and think about all they do in a day. The class runs every day from 9:00-5:00 roughly, so Brian and I get to commute together and even have lunch together some days. I'm excited about being busy again and having something to look forward to each day.
On Saturday Brian and I have our first FS cocktail party. I bought a new dress this week and am very excited. I think it should be a good time. Other than that, I've been really just trying to enjoy the moment. We are kind of in a strange limbo right now where we can't do a whole lot to prepare for leaving yet, but feel like we should be doing something.
Alright, I could give you the details of my daily life for the last few weeks, but the post would be much too long, so I'll leave with what I've shared above. I commit to writing at least once a week from here on it so that it's a little more predictable for those of you who are randomly checking in. Don't forget you can subscribe to the updates if you don't want to keep checking our blog every day.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
He Said: Long Overdue
Well, this post is much overdue, but these past couple weeks have been quite crazy. As many of you have read, Steph arrived in DC a little more than a week ago. I was so happy to have her finally arrive here for good. More than 2 months had passed since we said goodbye and I headed out here for training. It is so nice having her around now to be able to share this experience with me. I know she worked extremely hard on getting our things ready for our packout from Minnesota. A nice little break is well deserved for her. It's definitely strange to think that it may be 8 months until we see our "stuff" again... I guess this is the life we've signed up for... a small price to pay for all we gain in my opinion.
I'm having a little trouble trying to figure out where to start for my post tonight. Since I last posted, a lot has happened, but I'm not totally sure what of it is blog worthy. The biggest thing that has happened in the past couple weeks was Steph's arrival in DC. Hopefully we'll be able to share some more fun adventures stateside while she is here before we head to Venezuela. I know that once we are abroad, we will have many adventures to share with you all through the blog, but I feel as though we're in this crazy little gray area where we have to decide carefully what to post and what is really not that interesting... what a challenge!
2 weeks ago, I celebrated my 27th birthday, without Steph and without my family. It was strange to not really have anyone THAT close to me to celebrate with. I actually have never really experienced that in my life. I did end up having a pretty good day. I went to class/work, had dinner with some classmates, and then went out for drinks with some of the guys from my A-100 class. In the middle of the evening, one of my friends asked me if I had a good birthday. My answer was this, "In the past I've had working birthdays, and they've never really been that bad. When I look back on today and realize that right now my job is to learn a language, I have nothing to complain about." That simple reflection really sums it up for me right now. I try to remember everyday how lucky I am to have this opportunity, and I'm even luckier to be able to share it with Steph.
Other than Steph's arrival and my birthday, not that much has happened. The summer softball season in DC and I am coaching/organizing one of the two teams from our A-100 class. I'm looking forward to enjoying another summer of softball in the District...one of my favorite past times. Spanish has been going well. I definitely feel as though I've progressed during my 4 weeks. I have my first mini-assessment next week to determine my progress. I've been taking every opportunity to speak as much as I can in class, and Steph and I spoke only in Spanish for a half hour last night. The Department tells us that we should see a significant difference by week 10. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I really wish week 10 came sooner. I know that learning is a process, but I'm really just ready to begin using my newfound language skills.
I hope that this post finds you all well. Please keep the notes and calls coming our way. We surely do appreciate all of your love, support, and friendship.
I'm having a little trouble trying to figure out where to start for my post tonight. Since I last posted, a lot has happened, but I'm not totally sure what of it is blog worthy. The biggest thing that has happened in the past couple weeks was Steph's arrival in DC. Hopefully we'll be able to share some more fun adventures stateside while she is here before we head to Venezuela. I know that once we are abroad, we will have many adventures to share with you all through the blog, but I feel as though we're in this crazy little gray area where we have to decide carefully what to post and what is really not that interesting... what a challenge!
2 weeks ago, I celebrated my 27th birthday, without Steph and without my family. It was strange to not really have anyone THAT close to me to celebrate with. I actually have never really experienced that in my life. I did end up having a pretty good day. I went to class/work, had dinner with some classmates, and then went out for drinks with some of the guys from my A-100 class. In the middle of the evening, one of my friends asked me if I had a good birthday. My answer was this, "In the past I've had working birthdays, and they've never really been that bad. When I look back on today and realize that right now my job is to learn a language, I have nothing to complain about." That simple reflection really sums it up for me right now. I try to remember everyday how lucky I am to have this opportunity, and I'm even luckier to be able to share it with Steph.
Other than Steph's arrival and my birthday, not that much has happened. The summer softball season in DC and I am coaching/organizing one of the two teams from our A-100 class. I'm looking forward to enjoying another summer of softball in the District...one of my favorite past times. Spanish has been going well. I definitely feel as though I've progressed during my 4 weeks. I have my first mini-assessment next week to determine my progress. I've been taking every opportunity to speak as much as I can in class, and Steph and I spoke only in Spanish for a half hour last night. The Department tells us that we should see a significant difference by week 10. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I really wish week 10 came sooner. I know that learning is a process, but I'm really just ready to begin using my newfound language skills.
I hope that this post finds you all well. Please keep the notes and calls coming our way. We surely do appreciate all of your love, support, and friendship.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
She Said: Packed Out and In DC
Well, we passed a big milestone last week. Last Wednesday, the movers came and we officially "packed out" for the first time in our foreign service lives. We have done three cross country moves with the help of family and friends, and while they were wonderful, I'm here to say that professional movers are the way to go! It was so nice to have them come in and pack everything up and they were extremely efficient. A big shout out to my mom, Brian's mom, and Ellie for all your help on move day. Without you, we never would have been out of that place in one day!!
On Friday morning after the move, my dad and I headed for DC. It's about a 21 hour drive, so we decided to do about 15 of those hours on Friday and the remaining 6 on Saturday. It was actually a really fun trip and we had plenty of coffee stops, treat runs, and meals on the road together. It was a nice chance for us to spend some quality time together.
Saturday we arrived in DC. I was so glad to see Brian and am so glad to be out here with him. Living apart was no fun! Brian is making amazing progress in Spanish and it's fun to be able to talk with each other. Yesterday Brian and I went to do our passport applications. It took us nearly the whole morning to do our applications, get our pictures taken and wait in line to get them processed. But after all of that, we are well on our way to having our diplomatic passports. Exciting! We ended the evening with a dinner together at La Tasca. It's a tapas restaurant about 10 minutes from us and it was nice to finally take a deep breath and be able to spend some time together just catching up and not doing anything "administrative."
Now that I'm here, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what it is that I want to do, both for the next six months, and for the two years we'll be in Venezuela. As we've begun to talk with the people out here who can really help me with that search, it seems I have a lot more to focus on and work on out here than I had anticipated. Suddenly my summer is filling up and it looks like the next six months will be spent "building a toolbox" for Venezuela. Brian and I call it building a toolbox because while I'm not doing any one specific thing, I am basically just growing my skill set and qualifications so that I will ahve options in Venezuela. It looks like this summer will be spent networking with old contacts, reaching out to new people, taking the Consular course at FSI, brushing up on my Spanish, taking the protocal course and taking a short vacation to Maine. I am excited about the opportunity to take the course at FSI to see what opportunities might be available for me within the embassy as well. Aside from that, I'm looking forward to having a few visitors :-)
We're hoping to be back to Minnesota at least once more before we leave in October. We'll keep you posted.
On Friday morning after the move, my dad and I headed for DC. It's about a 21 hour drive, so we decided to do about 15 of those hours on Friday and the remaining 6 on Saturday. It was actually a really fun trip and we had plenty of coffee stops, treat runs, and meals on the road together. It was a nice chance for us to spend some quality time together.
Saturday we arrived in DC. I was so glad to see Brian and am so glad to be out here with him. Living apart was no fun! Brian is making amazing progress in Spanish and it's fun to be able to talk with each other. Yesterday Brian and I went to do our passport applications. It took us nearly the whole morning to do our applications, get our pictures taken and wait in line to get them processed. But after all of that, we are well on our way to having our diplomatic passports. Exciting! We ended the evening with a dinner together at La Tasca. It's a tapas restaurant about 10 minutes from us and it was nice to finally take a deep breath and be able to spend some time together just catching up and not doing anything "administrative."
Now that I'm here, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what it is that I want to do, both for the next six months, and for the two years we'll be in Venezuela. As we've begun to talk with the people out here who can really help me with that search, it seems I have a lot more to focus on and work on out here than I had anticipated. Suddenly my summer is filling up and it looks like the next six months will be spent "building a toolbox" for Venezuela. Brian and I call it building a toolbox because while I'm not doing any one specific thing, I am basically just growing my skill set and qualifications so that I will ahve options in Venezuela. It looks like this summer will be spent networking with old contacts, reaching out to new people, taking the Consular course at FSI, brushing up on my Spanish, taking the protocal course and taking a short vacation to Maine. I am excited about the opportunity to take the course at FSI to see what opportunities might be available for me within the embassy as well. Aside from that, I'm looking forward to having a few visitors :-)
We're hoping to be back to Minnesota at least once more before we leave in October. We'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
She Said: Last day at Target, Preparing for Packout
Today is Brian's birthday, another milestone apart :-( . I am ready for this part of the journey to be over!!! Happy birthday Bri!
Aside from the fact that I am missing another celebration with Brian, this has been an extremely challenging week. Last Friday was my last day at Target and I cried harder than I think I have ever cried when I left a job. I loved Target from the day that I first reached out to them to find out about what opportunities they had available (some would argue even before that), and I love it even more having worked for them. A shoutout to Target, they are outstanding from start to finish!! As I said goodbye to my coworkers, I started to get teary eyed, and by the time I got in my car, I was definitely crying. I miss the people there already!
On Friday night, Brian arrived and he and I spent the majority of the weekend sorting, labeling, donating and organizing. The leadup to packout has been quite the experience. While in other moves I have been overwhelmed by the thought of packing all of my possessions into boxes, in this move I am overwhelmed at the thought of not packing anything. Everything is literally sitting out in our apartment and I have the urge to just start boxing and sealing. No worries Brian, I will not do that. I know that everything must be seen and packed by the movers for insurance purposes. There always has to be some red tape. Beyond simply sorting and organizing, I think the worst part of packout has been the inventory. Granted, some of it is because of my own choices about inventory, but it has been painful nonetheless. Because we won't see a lot of our possessions for anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, I want to be as organized as possible, and know which possessions are in which boxes. I have put everything into an online system (which is great by the way, www.knowyourstuff.org) labeled with its location, description and the box number. Tomorrow the movers will be here to box everything up and take it away. My dad and I will leave for DC on Friday morning.
Aside from the logistics, there are exciting things going on, which is the fun part of this adventure. For the first time since we started dating, I have been able to share some of my favorite Spanish music with Brian and he can really understand the meaning. That has been fun. He is really progressing quickly and it's fun to watch him. I have also made several Venezuela contacts here in Minnesota just in talking with people. In about a half hour I will be talking with a woman whose husband is Venezuelan and has offered to share insights and answer questions for us. If there's one thing I've learned about Venezuelans so far, it's that they are warm, and welcoming and so open to sharing their country with you. I can't wait to experience that first hand when we get on the ground. Looking forward to sharing more stories with you soon!
Aside from the fact that I am missing another celebration with Brian, this has been an extremely challenging week. Last Friday was my last day at Target and I cried harder than I think I have ever cried when I left a job. I loved Target from the day that I first reached out to them to find out about what opportunities they had available (some would argue even before that), and I love it even more having worked for them. A shoutout to Target, they are outstanding from start to finish!! As I said goodbye to my coworkers, I started to get teary eyed, and by the time I got in my car, I was definitely crying. I miss the people there already!
On Friday night, Brian arrived and he and I spent the majority of the weekend sorting, labeling, donating and organizing. The leadup to packout has been quite the experience. While in other moves I have been overwhelmed by the thought of packing all of my possessions into boxes, in this move I am overwhelmed at the thought of not packing anything. Everything is literally sitting out in our apartment and I have the urge to just start boxing and sealing. No worries Brian, I will not do that. I know that everything must be seen and packed by the movers for insurance purposes. There always has to be some red tape. Beyond simply sorting and organizing, I think the worst part of packout has been the inventory. Granted, some of it is because of my own choices about inventory, but it has been painful nonetheless. Because we won't see a lot of our possessions for anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, I want to be as organized as possible, and know which possessions are in which boxes. I have put everything into an online system (which is great by the way, www.knowyourstuff.org) labeled with its location, description and the box number. Tomorrow the movers will be here to box everything up and take it away. My dad and I will leave for DC on Friday morning.
Aside from the logistics, there are exciting things going on, which is the fun part of this adventure. For the first time since we started dating, I have been able to share some of my favorite Spanish music with Brian and he can really understand the meaning. That has been fun. He is really progressing quickly and it's fun to watch him. I have also made several Venezuela contacts here in Minnesota just in talking with people. In about a half hour I will be talking with a woman whose husband is Venezuelan and has offered to share insights and answer questions for us. If there's one thing I've learned about Venezuelans so far, it's that they are warm, and welcoming and so open to sharing their country with you. I can't wait to experience that first hand when we get on the ground. Looking forward to sharing more stories with you soon!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
He Said: Life After A-100, Language Training Begins
It's been a while since I last posted, but I believe its been for good reason. Since the beginning of February, when I got "the call" I really haven't had a chance to slow down, pause, or take a break. Now, I'm not saying that since A-100 ended life has been a breeze (far from it in fact), but I have realized now the excruciating pace I've been going at since this all began. After the swearing in I slept harder than I think I ever have. I think my body just realized what it had been through and that there was a short window to recover... boy, that sure felt good. After a great weekend of celebrating the end of A-100 and the official beginning of Steph and my new diplomatic life, I put everyone on planes and sent them back to Minnesota. On Monday, it was back to reality and back to a little bit of (controlled) chaos.
Since then, I have been in language training for a week and a half now. The time has definitely gone quickly and been enjoyable. Although, it has been a lot of work and wears me out each and everyday. Heading to Spanish every morning is a constant reminder of what we've gotten into. It's not quite like college, but it's also not your typical full time job. Our classes are extremely small, and I spend 4+ hours in a classroom environment that is 98% in Spanish. The rest of the time in the day is spent in the multimedia lab working on listening exercises, speaking practice, interactive programs, and homework. I also do about an hour of homework each night. All of that totals to about 9 hours or so of Spanish everyday. It's so weird to study one subject so intensely and to have it be your full-time job on top of that.
I've definitely felt like I've been learning during our short amount of time in class, but I'm really wishing I could fast forward a few weeks at this point to be more comfortable in the language. I enjoy doing all the work and am motivates as the language will be a skill I need to have for my job. Although, all this work and the effort to understand another language has been exhausting. To put things in perspective, I have heard that one day in language at FSI is the equivalent of one to two weeks of a college level language course. I know that my hard work and this exhaustion will pay off, but I'm definitely looking forward to being able to use my new skill effectively.
Aside from starting language training, the move out of A-100 has been fairly smooth and enjoyable. It's strange to walk the halls at FSI and not see my classmates in their suits. Now everyone has moved to different levels of dress, with those of us in language training on the more casual end of the spectrum. I get the opportunity to catch up with many of them either in the hallways or at lunch, which I really enjoy. I know that during the A-100 days I have made many friends that we will keep throughout our careers. These are the people we will keep track of share this common experience across the globe with.
Everyday there is something that reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to be apart of this amazing experience. I hope I never lose that mystique.
Since then, I have been in language training for a week and a half now. The time has definitely gone quickly and been enjoyable. Although, it has been a lot of work and wears me out each and everyday. Heading to Spanish every morning is a constant reminder of what we've gotten into. It's not quite like college, but it's also not your typical full time job. Our classes are extremely small, and I spend 4+ hours in a classroom environment that is 98% in Spanish. The rest of the time in the day is spent in the multimedia lab working on listening exercises, speaking practice, interactive programs, and homework. I also do about an hour of homework each night. All of that totals to about 9 hours or so of Spanish everyday. It's so weird to study one subject so intensely and to have it be your full-time job on top of that.
I've definitely felt like I've been learning during our short amount of time in class, but I'm really wishing I could fast forward a few weeks at this point to be more comfortable in the language. I enjoy doing all the work and am motivates as the language will be a skill I need to have for my job. Although, all this work and the effort to understand another language has been exhausting. To put things in perspective, I have heard that one day in language at FSI is the equivalent of one to two weeks of a college level language course. I know that my hard work and this exhaustion will pay off, but I'm definitely looking forward to being able to use my new skill effectively.
Aside from starting language training, the move out of A-100 has been fairly smooth and enjoyable. It's strange to walk the halls at FSI and not see my classmates in their suits. Now everyone has moved to different levels of dress, with those of us in language training on the more casual end of the spectrum. I get the opportunity to catch up with many of them either in the hallways or at lunch, which I really enjoy. I know that during the A-100 days I have made many friends that we will keep throughout our careers. These are the people we will keep track of share this common experience across the globe with.
Everyday there is something that reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to be apart of this amazing experience. I hope I never lose that mystique.
Monday, April 20, 2009
She Said: Swearing In, The beginning of my search
Well, the past few weeks have been a blur and yet they have been wonderful. After flag day, I made my way back to Minnesota for a few days and then headed back to DC for the swearing in. It was really nice to have both my parents and Brian's parents in DC for the swearing in, and to be able to just spend some quality time together. As Brian has already said, the swearing in was a really neat ceremony to witness, and it made us all feel very patriotic. I was extremely proud of Brian!
Beyond the ceremony, we had a lot of time to talk about this journey. It has been 10 days since we heard "Caracas, Venezuela" announced as our post, and I think we are in a very different place about it today than we were when it was announced. As Brian and I said in our first post about Caracas, our initial reaction was mixed. While we have been excited about Venezuela and South America from day one, we had concerns about whether or not I would be able to work. I think at that moment, we both realized what "worldwide available" truly meant and it was a bit scary for both of us. Truthfully, I have hesitated to share my emotions about the post to this point because I never wanted anyone to think we weren't excited about Venezuela. That's really not the case AT ALL, and I want to be clear about that! What I have realized is that I think our fears just really took over when we realized what was happening. Suddenly, it wasn't what COULD be, it was what IS GOING to be, and those are two very different things.
From a career standpoint for me, I feel that I have worked hard to get to where I am, and I really don't want to give all of those things up. It has taken me 10 days (a few of them just feeling sorry for myself) to realize that I'm not giving those things up and that what lies ahead is an opportunity for me to showcase my abilities and talents and to do it overseas, as I've always wanted to do. Will it be hard? Without a doubt, but I've never been one to do things because they're easy. What I have realized since the announcement is that Venezuela offers all of the things that I said excited me about life as an FS spouse in the very beginning. When i read my first posts on this blog, I said that I was excited about the possibility of teaching, of freelance translating, of working with entrepreneurs in various industries such as chocolate, coffee and wine....of reinventing myself.
We know that Venezuela will offer us many challenges, but we also know that we will have an authentic foreign service experience there that will allow us to decide whether or not this is the kind of life we want to have after Brian serves his first two years. So, for those of you who have been wondering about how we're processing things, we're at a really good place about this whole experience. We are realistic about how challenging this post will be for both of us and excited about all of the beauty and opportunity it brings to us.
Beyond the ceremony, we had a lot of time to talk about this journey. It has been 10 days since we heard "Caracas, Venezuela" announced as our post, and I think we are in a very different place about it today than we were when it was announced. As Brian and I said in our first post about Caracas, our initial reaction was mixed. While we have been excited about Venezuela and South America from day one, we had concerns about whether or not I would be able to work. I think at that moment, we both realized what "worldwide available" truly meant and it was a bit scary for both of us. Truthfully, I have hesitated to share my emotions about the post to this point because I never wanted anyone to think we weren't excited about Venezuela. That's really not the case AT ALL, and I want to be clear about that! What I have realized is that I think our fears just really took over when we realized what was happening. Suddenly, it wasn't what COULD be, it was what IS GOING to be, and those are two very different things.
From a career standpoint for me, I feel that I have worked hard to get to where I am, and I really don't want to give all of those things up. It has taken me 10 days (a few of them just feeling sorry for myself) to realize that I'm not giving those things up and that what lies ahead is an opportunity for me to showcase my abilities and talents and to do it overseas, as I've always wanted to do. Will it be hard? Without a doubt, but I've never been one to do things because they're easy. What I have realized since the announcement is that Venezuela offers all of the things that I said excited me about life as an FS spouse in the very beginning. When i read my first posts on this blog, I said that I was excited about the possibility of teaching, of freelance translating, of working with entrepreneurs in various industries such as chocolate, coffee and wine....of reinventing myself.
We know that Venezuela will offer us many challenges, but we also know that we will have an authentic foreign service experience there that will allow us to decide whether or not this is the kind of life we want to have after Brian serves his first two years. So, for those of you who have been wondering about how we're processing things, we're at a really good place about this whole experience. We are realistic about how challenging this post will be for both of us and excited about all of the beauty and opportunity it brings to us.
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