So apparently I'm not as good at maintaining a blog as I thought I would be. Being busy shouldn't mean that I automatically fall off the face of the Earth, but I've mastered the art of being incommunicado....A lot of the past month really wouldn't have made for interesting posts anyway, so I'll save you all the pain of reading, and myself of writing, a detailed account of life after A-100.
I knew that I would be busy, but I wasn't quite as prepared for juggling all of the little details involved in an overseas move while also learning the ins and outs of US visa laws. I will be spending one of my two years in Beirut as a consular officer, so right now I'm taking a course fondly called "ConGen". I had no idea how complicated the whole process is, but it's been fascinating to learn about processes that have directly affected my family (the naturalization process, registering a birth abroad, tourist visas, etc).
Here's a rundown of some of the other superfun logistics I've been wrangling with, and if anyone has tips on moving overseas I would love to hear them!
1. Set my travel itinerary
2. Decided to take the cats with me
3. Changed my travel itinerary
4. Decided the cats should stay in DC
5. Donated multiple bags of stuff to Goodwill
6. Had a freakout
7. Learned about passports and visas
8. Decided to take the cats with me
9. Had another freakout
10. Destressed with a Sex and the City marathon with one of my best friends
11. Repeatedly taking deep breaths
At this point, all of my travel plans are book and the kitties have plane reservations. Now it's time to focus on organizing all of my stuff, as well as making list after list of just about everything. In the meantime, I'm trying to come up with a DC Bucket List and actually stay on top of this blog. Stay tuned!
If it helps, the person going out as your ambassador is AWESOME! She was our DPO (same thing as a DCM but at a consulate) in Jerusalem and I would work for her again anywhere. In fact, I had dinner last night with some friends from my time there, and at times, dinner seemed like a meeting of the Maura Connelly Fan Club.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your kitties. Always take them if at all possible. They will make your life overseas better and more balanced. You will be happy they are there. And folks in the Middle East tend to like cats. So they will fit in well.
Hey Laila, add me to your DC Bucket List! I'm in New Hampshire on vacation this week, but I will be back on Sunday. Connie and I discussed coming down there to see you. Do you have any weekend days free?
ReplyDeleteTake your kitties! Mine made it from China to DC so they are definitely coming to India! As for passports and visas - don't get me started! Love your blog :)
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