She Said: So much to be thankful for!

Well, as Brian said in his post, we've had a wonderful last few months (Yes Mr. Flynn I know that it has been a ridiculously long time since I last posted...thanks for keeping me honest). I did start working in July and I have to say I have really enjoyed the consular section. Aside from gaining a deep understanding and appreciation for what Brian is doing, I have learned a lot of new things, gotten to know people at the embassy on a much more personal level and had a great time over the past few months. In addition, it has helped me take my focus off of how difficult things can sometimes be in this country. While I have really learned a lot in the section and enjoyed my colleagues, I've decided that the actual job that I'm doing at the embassy is simply not a good fit for me. I have made a decision to leave the consular section at the end of the year and will be starting a new position at the embassy in January.

With all that's been going on, here we are with just under a year left in Venezuela. The first few months really seemed to creep by, but now we find the time flying and asking ourselves where it has gone. As we chatted the other day, Brian and I both realized that most of the places we wanted to see while we were here have since been checked off our list (Angle Falls, Panama, the beaches here, Chile) and we only have a few "must dos in Venezuela" left. I used Shutterfly to create a volume of pictures from our first year here and as we looked back we were astonished at all we've been able to do. Despite some of the difficulties we've faced, we wouldn't change it for the world!

While we love foreign service life and the privileges it brings, you all know how hard some of our days in Venezuela have been. As we approach the new year, I think Brian and I are both thinking about the new year and our onward assignment to DC. It's funny in the foreign service....often times people look at you like you're crazy when you say you're going back to DC or they say "I'm sorry" when you tell them where you're going. They see it as a disappointment, perhaps because we're all so used to the privilege of traveling and living overseas. For us, that is not the case at all. We are both EXTREMELY EXCITED to be going back to DC for a post and think the timing is right for us. For Brian's career, the job is an excellent fit and now that I've been out for a tour I have a better idea of what experiences and contacts will be good for me to get in DC before heading overseas again. There are a lot of things we missed about the states being here and we plan to take full advantage of them while we're home (watch out Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Target...here we come!)

I don't have much to add beyond that at this point. I feel like I could write so many blog posts right now to share with you all the great travel adventures we've had since I last wrote. I guess working really did consume me. For now, I'll keep it simple and say happy holidays to you and loved ones around the world. As we are surrounded by so many wonderful friends here, our wonderful friends at home who are so patient with us and so committed to our friendship and our loving family who is always there for us no matter what, I am constantly reminded of how lucky we are to be where we are and to have what we have. Wishing you all exciting adventures in the new year to come. Merry Christmas!

He Said: Catching Up

I'm making a promise that I no longer am going to start posts with, "I know this has been a long time coming..." In a conversation with my mom the other night she asked about the blog and posting and she made a good comment. She said that the lack of posts simply show that we've settled into life here in Caracas and that things now are fairly normal. I'm happy to report that Steph and I continue with our positive attitude efforts and feeling as though we've made a life for ourselves here.

Since our last post in July, (ugh!) we've definitely had a lot going on. Steph started work in the Consular section back in July. She's conducting visa interviews, the same as I am. I think it was a big change for her, but we've been able to put the extra income to work. This summer we received our onward assignment. We'll be heading back to Washington, DC around September/October, 2011. I'll be doing a two year tour as the Public Diplomacy Desk Officer for the Baltic and Nordic Regions. Basically, I'll be working with the Embassies in: Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Greenland. From DC I'll be advocating on behalf of my region for cultural grant money and support. Additionally, I'll be the person in Washington who sends out press guidance to the region. I'm really looking forward to getting both press and cultural experience, and living in DC should provide some great opportunities for Steph as well. I'll let her comment more on what she may or may not be doing. Since we're heading back to DC we've been thinking more and more about purchasing some sort of property there. With Steph working we've been able to really start working on putting something together for our future, which is extremely exciting for us.

In addition to looking forward, we've had a couple of great moments over the past few months. Over Labor Day, my cousin Renee and her husband came to visit us. We had a lot of fun catching up and showing them around Venezuela. I think they were impressed by the natural beauty of this place, but at the same time understood many of the disappointments we experience because of how badly things are going in this country. Also, in October we met up with our friends Justin and Rebecca in Panama. It was great to get out of Venezuela for a while. We enjoyed having Taco Bell and Dairy Queen all in the same day at the mall. We also had a blast seeing our old friends and sharing a new country with them. After they headed back to the States, we continued on to San Blas, on the Atlantic side of Panama. We spent two days on the islands, relaxing and reading. We've posted pictures of the place we stayed and the natural beauty there.

We're getting ready for the holidays coming up and will be looking forward to spending some time in Minnesota over Christmas. We'll be working on some more posts and hope to hear from you all soon.

He Said: (Well over) 1 Year

So I have to be honest, I started this post 4 months ago when I had reached my 1 year anniversary of being in the Foreign Service. It's funny to look back and realize that I was in such a different place back then than I am in now. To get things started, I'll include what I originally wrote:

"Well, it has been quite a while since I last posted. I could take up time and space to explain all the reasons why, but instead I'll try to be as concise and honest as possible. There are two reasons why I haven't blogged in a while. First, I've been busy. I know, I know, it's so cliche and isn't everyone in the world busy with something. To be honest I'm still just adjusting to all the things that are new in my life and that take extra time. Additionally, visa demand is so high here in Caracas, that by the end of the day I'm just exhausted from head to toe. The second reason is that lately I have felt like I haven't had many good things to blog about and I really didn't want to share my frustrations with all you readers. Venezuela can be a very frustrating place and people simply live in a bubble where they only worry about themselves.

The post ended there because I had to run and get something else done that evening with Steph. I never came back to it and I'm glad I didn't finish my own little rant/tantrum. It's interesting to look as see where I was only three months ago. Additionally, as hindsight is always 20/20, I find it fascinating and a little funny to reflect on my very own personal culture shock. I commented to Steph just yesterday on how I've been feeling life here in Caracas for us feels so normal. After coming back from our first of two R&Rs in Minnesota in May, it was a really hard adjustment to come back to our life here because it's just so different. Now, it feels as though we have our own life and the things that seemed to consume us are just a part of that life we share. Now, I still don't understand why it's okay to make a left turn on a red light, but not when there's only a green light (where in the US you can yield and turn), but at least now I can laugh about it (most of the time). There are definitely some things that I really don't like about the culture here, and some things I'll never get used to, but as I was explaining to Steph, I feel as though the things we have in our life simply overpower that now.

We really do have wonderful friends and a great community here. More than that, I feel as though Steph and I have found our niches in so many ways. I've already brewed three batches of beer here at home. The beer here is weak and not very tasty, so this is a great thing to share. The latest batch is called "Culture Shock Ale" as a tip of the hat to end my own little pity party. Also, Steph and I have had the chance to get out and see more of Venezuela. We recently returned from a 5 day trip to Canaima
National Park where Angel Falls (the worlds tallest waterfall) is located. I think she's planning to post about that soon. I know she's promised pictures to many people as well. Finally, Steph recently started working in the Consular section with me conducting visa interviews. It's been an adjustment for us to work together in the same office, but more so for her to return to work and have it be such a change from what she did in the past. It will take time, but I think we'll enjoy the extra income, and I think she likes having a little more routine in her day.

Another thing coming down the pipeline is the move we will be doing soon. I know, I know, another move... I think we've become famous for the number of moves we conducted. We'll still be here in Caracas, and still in the neighborhood, but we had been dealing with some major mold and maintenance issues in our current apartment for over 3 months, so we're being moved into a cleaner, healthier apartment down the street. We'll be losing our killer view of Caracas, but it's a small price to pay to have a healthy home. We're excited to get into our new place and are looking forward to getting settled in and making that "normal."

Well, that's about all I have for now. I'm going to try to put more posts up more frequently now that life is what it is. We'll be bidding on our next assignment in late August/early September, so I at least need to post something about that once we're assigned.

Until next time...