Monticello

Post by J

Since Thomas Jefferson (affectionately known as "TJ" to R who, by the way, also refers to Teddy Roosevelt as "TR" and William Shakespeare as "Billy the Shake") was the first U.S. Secretary of State, I thought it only fitting that I visit his home and pay my respects.

It takes a little over two hours to drive to Charlottesville from here, so I started out around 8:30 this morning. I enjoyed traveling through the rolling hills of Virginia, picturesquely hemmed in by tidy white fences, and didn't even mind the slower pace that was required because of the curves. I narrowly missed flattening a turtle with a death wish as it neared the end of its ponderous trek across the asphalt, however. I made good time and finally arrived at Monticello - the only home of a U.S. president that is a UNESCO world heritage site.

I paid the entrance fee and took the shuttle up to the top of Jefferson's "little mountain," which is what Monticello translates to in Italian. I was just in time for the next guided tour of the house, and our knowledgeable guide shared some amazing facts about Jefferson during the tour including:

• Jefferson had read every book in his father's library by the age of 6
• Jefferson could read in seven different languages
• Jefferson taught himself Spanish during a 19-day sea voyage by translating a copy of Don Quixote using a Spanish/English dictionary
• Jefferson was nearly a vegetarian, using meat only as a "condiment" to enhance the flavors of his vegetables
• Jefferson's favorite vegetable was peas, and he grew six different varieties on the grounds of Monticello
• Jefferson was an inventor, collector of fine art, and founder of the University of Virginia

In short, TJ was amazing.  But he suffered tragedy: his father died when he was 14; his wife, Martha, died after only 10 years of marriage, and only two of his six children lived to adulthood.

Monticello is beautiful, and the grounds and gardens are impressive.  I thoroughly enjoyed the three hours I spent there, and came away with new respect and admiration for our third president.

A-100 Week One Recap

Post by J

Week one of A-100 is in the books.  I don't remember being this tired since Basic Training back in my Army days, I kid you not. There's a lot of information to absorb, all of it relevant, all of it important.  Plus, I've been getting up at 5:00 each morning to run (there are treadmills in the apartment complex's small  fitness center), so by the time I get home around 6:00 p.m. I'm justifiably exhausted. Hello, three-day-weekend! Am I ever glad to see you!

The sessions this week varied from "mission statement and structure" to explanations of how to complete a travel voucher. We learned about global health issues, diplomatic history, and the National Security Council. We explored State Department priorities and the interagency process. We received an overview of the Transition Center, which includes the Overseas Briefing Center (OBC).

The OBC is of particular interest this week because we received the bid list for our class on Wednesday. The list consists of 105 possible posts that we each must rank high, medium, or low, depending on our self-determined priorities. The list encompasses 51 cities in 44 countries. This is where the fun comes in: all of my 84 fellow FSOs and I are busily poring over the vast array of material that the OBC keeps on each post, trying to decide what is best for us. We have been told we can rank no more than 25% (about 26 posts) low.

We are not able to publicly share the list, but our families are directly affected so can be "in the know." R, H, L, and I have been looking up countries and sharing information we find, trying to begin the process of weeding out and ranking. It's fun, but it does take a lot of time.

On top of all of the information during the day and the lengthy telephone conversations with Ross regarding possible posts, I have homework to complete. I'm usually in bed sawing proverbial logs by 9:00 p.m.

Today the OBC had special weekend hours (something that only happens once a month), and I took advantage of that and drove over to FSI (Foreign Service Institute) to do some more reading on potential posts, and to check out a few post videos. While there, I had a very interesting conversation with two "seasoned" FSOs who are in between tours. They were on hand just to talk with us newbies, and I found their advice very helpful in getting a handle on how to proceed when I talk to my Career Development Officer (CDO) next week about my preferences.

Just to remind myself that I am making progress toward Flag Day (the day my class finds out to which post we've actually been assigned) I've included a countdown widget on the right side of this page. Time is ticking!

A-100 Day One

Post by J

I have officially taken the oath:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.  So help me God.

I will take this oath again, at the completion of my orientation training.

I just want to say here that I take this oath seriously. These words stand for my belief in this country and its ideals, and I don't take that lightly. It's an honor to serve my country in an official capacity, and I look forward to the challenges this profession will bring.

Today's agenda included a number of briefings on logistics: travel orders, health insurance options, housing. The real training begins tomorrow.

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day Five

Post by J

I took a slight detour today and drove through Shenandoah National Park via Skyline Drive on my way to my new apartment. I wove in and out of the rain and mist on a mostly empty road, listening to Handel's Water Music (appropriately enough), and enjoying the scenery:

Throughout the drive I kept thinking of the Civil War - probably because I kept thinking of the Jimmy Stewart film Shenandoah. Virginia is thick with battlefields: Appomattox Courthouse, Spotsylvania, Manassas, Fredericksburg, and so many others. The unspoiled beauty that is the Shenandoah Valley seems removed from modern life and I could easily imagine Union and Confederate soldiers lurking among the trees, tired of fighting, just wanting to go home.

After a couple of hours of of misty melancholy, I headed to Luray to check out the famous Caverns. It's a popular destination, apparently, because the parking lot was full when I arrived at about a quarter past two. After I spent an hour on the tour, I understood the appeal - it's pretty spectacular. Read about the caverns here.

And finally I arrived at my new apartment around six this evening. After schlepping all of my boxes up to the fourth floor, I made a quick trip to the supermarket for coffee and milk and eggs. Tomorrow I'll unpack, explore the neighborhood, and give the metro a trial run.  

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day Four

Post by J

This morning, after a run on the hotel's treadmill and a stop in their breakfast room, I was struggling to open my hotel room door with a bowl of oatmeal in one hand, a cup of hot coffee in the other, and my room key card in my pocket. A maid who looked to be about 20 was in the hallway outside my door and asked sweetly, "Can I help you, honey?" in a molasses-slow Tennessee drawl. I'm definitely not in Wyoming any more. Not that Wyoming maids aren't helpful - they are - but they definitely don't have the accent, and I've never been called honey by one of them, especially one young enough to be my daughter. I thanked that sweet, helpful girl and left a $5 tip on the desk when I departed. Because she was helpful, yes. But mostly because I'm a little in love with the accent.

It only took 3.5 hours to drive to Roanoke, and I was tempted to stop at three places I saw advertised along the Interstate:  President Andrew Johnson's home in Greenville, TN (because everyone should know a little bit about the presidents, even those who've been impeached ... I'm looking at you, Bill Clinton), Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park, also in Tennessee (because Davy's got a pretty bad-ass reputation, and looks good in a coonskin cap besides), and Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia (because who isn't curious about this one?). It was starting to rain, however, so I decided to keep driving. I have subsequently looked up the Hungry Mother State Park, though, because I just had to know. In a nutshell, a long time ago Native Americans destroyed several settlements in the area, but a mother (Molly Marley) and her child escaped. Surviving on berries, Molly eventually collapsed and the child wandered down a creek until he or she found help. All the child could say was "Hungry mother," though, and by the time Molly was found, she was dead. Note to the Virginia State Parks people: Molly Marley State Park is a much better name.

I pulled in to Roanoke at about 2:30 and promptly went to the mall where I found a really nice blazer for work - original price:  $100. Sale price:  $12.  Score!

Tomorrow I arrive in Falls Church. It's only about a three-hour drive from here and I plan to take in a few sites along the way, even if it's raining.

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day Three

Post by J

Kentucky, anyone? How about Tennessee?

With only 411 miles to cover today, I waved goodbye to the Land of Lincoln with Journey's Wheel in the Sky playing on the local oldies radio station. (May I just pause here to ask, "How, for the love of all that's holy, did enough time pass for Journey songs come to be considered "oldies"?)

I crossed the Ohio River and entered Paducah, Kentucky where I saw a billboard advertising the National Quilt Museum. I decided to stop.

You know how on Sesame Street each episode is brought to you by a number and a letter ("Today's episode is brought to you by the letter J and the number 8.")? The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky is brought to you by the word, "Wow." Inadequate as it was, I said that word over and over as I spent an hour in awe of the amazing talent displayed by the quilters. Although it is against the rules to take photos of the quilts (something about intellectual property rights, blah, blah, blah - a bunch of hooey, especially because images of the quilts were being sold as postcards in the gift shop), I took a few:

Seriously. The bird looks like it's been painted, but it's all applique and quilted. Crazy talent.

I continued on my way down the interstate and crossed the Tennessee River. Then the Cumberland, then Lake Barkley and Stones River near Nashville. Then I crossed the Caney Fork River five times in the space of less than two miles. Then the Falling Water River, the Obed River and the Clinch River. Captain Obvious: Kentucky and Tennessee have a lot of rivers.

Outside of Nashville, traffic came to an abrupt halt. A heavy rainstorm had just passed over and it was still drizzling. Over the course of the next hour, I covered 10 miles, inch by inch. I grabbed my phone after about 15 minutes and looked up road conditions on I-40 eastbound and discovered there had been an accident around milepost 252. Sure enough, when I got to the accident site, a huge motor home was turned over along the side of the road, a damaged truck beside it. By my calculations, I would have been pretty close to that spot at the time of the accident if I hadn't stopped to ogle the quilts back in Paducah.  

The upside is that, while stalled in traffic, I was listening to Jim Gaffigan's Dad is Fat on my iPod that I had synced with the car sound system. Hysterical. I'm sure the other drivers in the gridlock must have thought I had just been released from Bellevue, if they chanced to look in my direction and saw me cracking up for no apparent reason.

I'm spending the night in Knoxville, and looking forward to a short day (only 259 miles!) tomorrow, when I arrive in Virginia.

The Adventure Begins

Post by R

It's for real now.  J is well on her way to D.C. (or the Imperial City as I'm apt to somewhat affectionately call it) and I'm back at the home front.  It's true, I am completely and totally supportive of J's dream-chasing.  I also fully admit that when she first expressed serious interest in joining the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer I suspected it would be an uphill climb.  Just take a look at J's first blog post if you doubt that; the odds were against her.  We're talking about J though, so odds don't mean so much.  Give her a chance and she will excel, of that I had no doubt. 

I'll miss Wyoming.  Even though I was Jersey born and raised I have become quite fond of this free, honest, wide-open state.  I've spent time in just about every corner of it while travelling for work and I will have some regrets about leaving it.  That said, the itch to move on has always been there.  J and I met as vagabonds and we spent the first 15 years of our married life as vagabonds, living in various parts of the U.S. and Europe.  New adventures are in our DNA.

Right now everything is dependent on what transpires on a certain date, September 26th.  That's when J will find out where in the world she is headed to.  We cannot make any decisions regarding the house, our pets, my employment, etc. until that date.  Meanwhile I've started divesting ourselves of unneeded possessions and am doing some projects around the house to help prepare it for eventual sale.  I also don't know if, and for how long, I might be joining J in Washington.  I will be eligible, on a space-available basis, to attend language training at the same time as J if her first assignment requires foreign language ability.  If it does, I will want to do everything I can to take advantage of that.  We have both spent enough time overseas to know that it is completely worth the effort.  I've been to Poland while speaking Polish, and J has been to the Czech Republic while speaking Czech.  We have also been to numerous countries where we did not speak the native language.  Being able to speak in the local tongue is infinitely more rewarding.

On a side note, 700 or so bicyclists are in town tonight in conjunction with the Tour de Greater Yellowstone (or something like that).  Most are camped out in City Park. I'm sure they'll leave with positive impressions of Lander; it's that kind of town.  We'll miss it too.

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day Two

Post by J

In case you had any doubt, driving over 1200 miles in two days really takes it out of a girl.

Today's travels took me through the rest of Nebraska, 10 minutes of Iowa, and a majority of Missouri. I finally came to rest in southern Illinois. Nebraska's fields gave way to Missouri's deciduous trees, a welcome change. I set the cruise to just over the speed limit and ate up the miles, landing in Booneville for lunch around 1:00 p.m. local time.

I was looking for something with a local flavor, so I pulled in to Yummy's Donut Palace. The outside of the building sported a huge sign advertising "Kolaches," a word I had never heard before, so I figured it had to be a local delicacy. As I approached the building, a tall twenty-something guy was coming out and held the door for me.

"Thanks," I said.

"You're welcome, ma'am," he replied. Southern hospitality lives.

The place was empty when I went in, so I didn't feel self-conscious asking the woman behind the counter to tell me all about these kolaches.

"Well," she said. "Here in Missouri, we use sausage. Now, the further south you get you can get other things like cheese or egg. Basically, it's like pigs in a blanket." She pointed to a picture of a kolache that stood on the counter. Sure enough, it looked like a hot dog wrapped in bread dough and baked.  In other words, it looked delicious.

"I think I'll have to try one," I said.

"Nope, sorry.  We don't have any today - our oven's broken."

Bummer. So much for diving into the local delicacies. I settled for a ham and cheese croissant and an apple fritter as big as my hand, and promised myself I'd have a salad for dinner.

Over the last two days I listened to Cheryl Strayed's Wild while driving. Honestly, it is the perfect book to listen to when you're pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and sailing into the unknown. An added bonus to me was her honest and poignant description of her struggle to come to terms with her mother's death. I could so relate to what she went through. Listening to the book made the miles slide away as my mind was focused on something else. Perfect.

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day One

Post by J

I love how vast America is. I love that it will take me five days to drive from Wyoming to Virginia. Of course, this is Day One. Ask me how I feel on Day Five.

I left Wyoming a little before nine o'clock this morning, heading east. The plan is to front-load the trip with lots of miles the first two days so that I can more leisurely explore the states through which I'll be travelling toward the end of the week. Today I logged in excess of 600 miles and am spending the night near Grand Island, Nebraska.

Driving from Sweetwater Station to Muddy Gap, I was unexpectedly flooded with memories: Stopping at Mad Dog and the Pilgrim to purchase an old book, talking with my dad and having him refer to Jeffrey City as "Jeff City" (of course, he has also been known to refer to the president of the Confederacy as Jeff Davis, as if he knows him personally), and stopping to take a photograph of the Ferris Mountains back when H was an undergrad at the University of Wyoming. Amazing how that lonesome (some might consider desolate) 60-mile stretch of highway holds such vivid images for me. Imagine how I'm struggling to compartmentalize the millions of moments that represent the 15 or 30 mile radius from my home over the last 13 years.

I raced through Rawlins and along I-80 to Laramie and Cheyenne, names synonymous with the Old West, and that I take for granted.

I didn't stop until I needed gas and something to eat. I had reached Sydney, Nebraska and had started to see the country of Willa Cather and Bess Streeter Aldrich. My Antonia and A Lantern in Her Hand were among my favorite books growing up, and the fields of corn and alfalfa that I saw along the Interstate brought those stories back to me. I identify with the uniquely American experience of pioneering in the West, of making do with less, of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. When you come from humble beginnings, you tend to appreciate the opportunities that America provides. This is why, for me, joining the Foreign Service is an extraordinary honor.

A Little Background Information

Post by J

For those on the outside looking in, what seems like a lightning-fast career change for me actually was over a year in the making. This post gives a little background on how I got to this moment, to the evening before I drive cross-country (2000 miles and five days) to begin my life as a Foreign Service Officer.

There are many, many blogs out there that provide an amazing amount of information regarding how to apply to join the foreign service. I know this because I obsessively read dozens of them and found good advice, inspiration, hope, and perspective during my journey to this point. Just do a quick search on the All-Knowing Google, and you'll find enough reading material to seriously jeopardize your ability to do anything else but read blogs and fantasize about a State Department career, such is the appeal and ultimately, the time-suck, that is this obsession.

The very beginning:  R was a career military man and we were fortunate enough for him to have served a tour in the Defense Attache Office of a U.S. Embassy overseas in the late 90s. I had very little knowledge of the Foreign Service prior to that tour, but I became immediately fascinated. I worked as the Community Liaison Office Coordinator during our time there and loved being part of the Embassy culture. R and I discussed the possibility of "going State" after he retired from the Army, but really, it was just a wonderful daydream at the time.  

Several years later, R and I took what was then referred to as the FSWE (Foreign Service Written Exam). I think that was back in 2004, but it could have been 2003. Anyway, this was before the State Department utilized email for official communication (I know we did provide our email address, but I don't remember ever receiving anything via email from them regarding the test, or our results). For whatever reason, neither of us passed.

Then in 2013, a random email from State appeared in our inbox (keep in mind we had heard nothing from them for at least eight years). The email basically said, "So, you showed interest in a Foreign Service career in the past, and if you're still interested, register to take the test during this window." Since we had both provided the same email address initially, it was completely unclear to whom this most recent email was directed.  

A lot had happened in the intervening eight years, of course. R had moved on and entered a profession that he really enjoys. I had a well-established career that was fulfilling. We were comfortable in our small town and had a good life. Why would we want to shake that up, drastically change our lifestyle, pack up everything and move? And yet, once that email arrived I kept thinking about the possibility of a Foreign Service career. And what could possibly be the harm in taking the test? Just a cursory search showed that the odds of actually being invited to A-100 (the initial Foreign Service Officer orientation course) are pretty slim - fewer than 2% of those who take the test actually become FSOs.

R and I talked about it and thought about it for a couple of weeks. Ultimately, R decided he did not want to pursue becoming an FSO. But this is where his awesomeness comes in to play. I asked, "What would you say if I tried?" To which he immediately replied, "Go for it.  I'm behind you all the way."

The quick and dirty steps to becoming an FSO (if you're unsuccessful at any point during this process, your "candidacy" ends and you have to start all over - and you can only take the FSOT once every 365 days):

1. Take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT)
2. If you pass the FSOT, you are invited to submit short (about 200 word) answers to six essay prompts (Personal Narrative Questions, or PNQs), describing how certain of your experiences demonstrate each of 13 different "dimensions" (read more about the 13Ds here). If you don't pass the FSOT, your candidacy ends and you must wait nearly a year to take the test again.
3. If the Board of Examiners (BEX), after reviewing your entire file (including resume, FSOT results, and PNQs), likes your application packet enough, you will be invited to travel to Washington, DC (on your own dime) to participate in the Oral Assessment (OA).  If the BEX doesn't like your packet enough, your candidacy ends, and you must start all over with the FSOT.
4. The OA consists of three parts: The Group Exercise (GE), the Structured Interview (SI), and the Case Management (CM) exercise. Your performance in each of these is scored independently, but your overall score for the day is the average of the three. To pass the OA, you must receive at least a score of 5.25 out of 7.  If you receive less than a 5.25, your candidacy ends and you must start all over with the FSOT.
5. If you pass the OA, you must receive both medical and security clearances - the medical clearance is usually pretty quickly determined, but a security clearance can take several months or even a year or more, depending on your background.
6. Once your clearances are in place, you are added to the "register," which is dynamic and rank-ordered based on your OA score.
7. If you are not invited to A-100 within 18 months of being on the register, you "time off" and your candidacy ends.

My timeline:

1. FSOT:  June 2013
2. Pass FSOT, invited to submit PNQs:  July 2013
3. Pass PNQs, invited to OA:  September 2013
4. Pass OA:  November 2013
5. Medical clearance:  December 2013
6. Security clearance:  May 2014
7. Added to register:  May 2014
8. Invite to A-100:  June 2014
9. A-100:  August 25, 2014

I'll write more at a later time about my motivation to join, especially at this time in our lives.