On the Road Again

Post by R

Wow, that was interesting and awesome 5+ months!  It was great to be with J in Arlington and attend the Foreign Service Institute.  I had 14 weeks of Spanish instruction and six weeks of the Basic Consular Course. It was intense for a while; I was doing three to four hours of Spanish homework every day for the first 8 weeks, but it eased up a little and I now have a good foundation in Spanish.  Not fluent for sure, but a very good start.  The consular course was great, and it might lead to a family-hire job overseas.  Even if I don't end up working in a consular job I'll have a MUCH greater understanding and appreciation for what J will be doing on a daily basis for the next however many years.  That alone is invaluable.  The occasional weekend excursions to museums and events was really nice too.  To enjoy "big city" offerings in Wyoming required major logistical preparation.  In Crystal City it was a 10 minute Metro ride, and we could walk from our apartment to the train without even going outside to the street. 

I'm writing this somewhere in Southwest Virginia near the Tennessee border.  It was grey and wet, so no photos today - hopefully on my next post.  I'm on my way back to sell the house and have our worldly belongings packed and shipped to either long-term storage or the Dominican Republic.  Most will go to storage, but some will go to the DR.  It took about an hour of driving to escape the hustle and bustle of the increasingly growing Washington DC metropolitan area, but by the time I was on I-81 South heading to the Shenandoah valley I could tell that I was back in the America I'm more familiar with, having lived in Wyoming for the past 12+ years.  Forests, farms, small towns, etc. replaced the urban landscape.

Having lived in both urban and rural settings, I've come to the conclusion that I can be happy in either.  They both have their advantages and disadvantages, and you always want what you don't have.  If you live in  a built-up city, a long weekend in the mountains is a nice getaway.  If you live in a small town in Wyoming a long weekend in the heart of Denver or SLC is a nice getaway.  Go figure.

As long as I have J to experience it with, I'll be happy anywhere.