Flag Day

I'd heard about flag day and thought it would be a cheesy, but it was actually really cool. So the way it works is that there are a couple of speakers and then they announce countries and names. When the country and name are announced the person goes up front, gathers their flag, takes a picture with a senior diplomat and then gets a folder with information about what to do next.  In my class the process repeated 85 times.

The first half I was really distracted because Janet and the kids were coming but not there yet.  Halfway through announcing assignments Janet and the kids made their way in the room. Somewhere along the  way Janet made a wrong turn and in Arlington a wrong turn takes half and hour to correct.

Since I knew I was going to one of seven locations I was able to check off where I wasn't going as the other facility managers received their assignments. As Germany, The Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Burundi and South Africa got taken I was getting really anxious to find out if I was going to my first choice, Malawi or my third choice, Norway.

As the flags got fewer and fewer up front I wondered if they had forgotten to put me on the list.  With three flags left a fellow FM received an assignment to Malawi.  Then the powerpoint picture of the Norwegian popped up on the screen and my name was announced.  Janet and I were both really excited and we knew our families would be happy that we weren't going to some crazy post in Africa.

Over the next couple of years we expect a number of visitors, plan to learn to ski, visit the fiords, and plan to figure out how to live in Norway without breaking the bank. In conclusion, what a cool place to start a career in the State Department.

What Have We Gotten Ourselves Into

On Monday I started my new job. One thing I am very excited about is the idea that they spend time to train you before throwing you to the wolves; I get 6 months of training before heading in field.   The first three weeks are the same for all the the foreign service specialist.  Our class includes over 80 people in a variety of specialties including a number of Doctors.

During these three weeks the most exciting and anxious part is researching and receiving our first assignments.  There are 7 facilities managers and 7 places we might end up.  Those places are Malawi, Burundi, Cote D'Ivoire, South Africa, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands.  We have been asked to do research on each post and then rank in order of preference with a brief explanation of why we ranked each post the way we did.

In my opinion we have an amazing list, and I wonder how many people have more than 50% of their first post options in really great countries. I would guess not too many.  It would seem obvious that my ranking would be a no brainer, but it is proving to be a not so simple choice.  As we learn about schools, housing, pay, job, rest and relaxation trips and much more we are seeing some places trickle up and down the list. Our list changes by the day, the hour and the minute.

An interesting this about bidding on posts is that everyone in our group has very different preferences. Some people hate the cold, others want/need better schools or want to work with another FM while they gain experience, so no one will rank the list exactly the same. Ultimately when we submit our list for consideration our preferences are only a factor in where we eventually go, so it really will be a surprise.

The surprise comes on flag day in another week.  It is a fun and festive event where Janet, the kids and a couple of friends will come over along with everyone else's families and friend.  The hope is that no one walks away with tears in their eyes.  Even if we say we are worldwide available, that doesn't me there aren't places we don't want to go.

We are really excited about this job and everything that goes with it.  As we get going there are moments we think, what have we gotten ourselves into, but overall we are thrilled for the opportunities ahead.  The people we've met so far are amazing and so excited for our family to have some more great experiences.