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.
