Semper Gumby

Always flexible.

This week, I was thanked for my flexibility in being willing to stay an extra 6 weeks in DC. Yes friends, you all have the pleasure of having me around this summer, I hope you're excited.

I'm not the first of my classmates to have a change, and definitely have one of the most minor. One colleague learned that her job had switched, and she managed to get her post to grant her an extra couple months in DC to do some more training to help her with the new portfolio. Another colleague got moved from a country's consulate in one city to its embassy in another. In the scheme of things, being asked to stay an extra 6 weeks to do consular training isn't a big deal at all. I guess I'm glad to be getting my first dose of gumby-required changes at this early stage of things.

So I will get to take the infamous ConGen afterall. In addition to that, when I go to post I'll have under my belt Political-Economic Tradecraft, Religion and Foreign Policy, and several security trainings.

While I'll be uber-prepared, it's hard not to be a bit disappointed that my departure has been delayed, mostly because I'll now be missing the South's independence, scheduled for July 9th. Of course, I would be in Khartoum, not in Juba, and the 9th would likely be just like any other day in that part of north Sudan, but c'mon, who wouldn't want to be in a country when such an important event is going on?

Yet I guess there's no use in being bummed. Honestly, I may not have been able to make it by then anyways, with the potential hold up on my visa. And this gives me more time to acquire stuff (which I made some darn good progress on last weekend), be here for my sister's 21st (what kind of older sister would I be if I didn't take her for a drink?), spend a 4th of July in the States for the first time in about 5 years, and since my 160th colleague also assigned to Sudan is heading out before me now, I can learn from everything she experiences while there.

So DC summer, bring it!

Proud Owner of...

It's kinda awesome and I pretty much feel like a rock star. Now just keep your fingers crossed that my dip visa gets processed in the next 6 weeks.

An update on life after A-100 forthcoming, I promise.

Can you find me?

Flag Day

Since Friday, I've been busy 1) processing, 2) celebrating, and 3) researching (yes, vibrant members, that was a public speaking joke). But now it's time to write out the story of that great day.

Flag day was phenomenal. While our coordinators did their best to keep us occupied and entertained all morning, it certainly didn't help to distract me from the afternoon's event. I was literally dancing around FSI, getting out all the pent up energy I had before it started. Mom and dad came to watch, and after getting them situated and answering a last minute question from my mom on, of all places, Sudan, I took my seat in between two of my closest 160th friends.

Luckily, both these seat-neighbors had been warned that I would be doing an anxious thigh-grab on them as each flag went up, and they got what I promised had been in store. The fun started when our CDOs filed into the room with 3 big racks of flags. Instantly we started analyzing them, trying to see what was and wasn't there, trying to find the flags we wanted to be handed. After a delayed guest arrived and introductions were made, the fun began. Flags and colleagues began to be called, and it was surreal to see my own Flag Day finally unfolding. Only about eight flags in, a second Sudanese flag popped up on the screen (the very first flag called  was the other Sudan post, given to an awesome colleague who I look forward to working with). When it flashed on the screen I felt a twinge of... apprehension? anxiousness? I'm not sure what it was, but as the flag came up I thought "wow, this might be it".

In all honestly, I hadn't given Khartoum much consideration. It would be a great post, but since it was only Arabic language designated at a 0/0 I had thought it unlikely: they would either send me to an Arabic 2/1 post, or to a Spanish post I assumed. How wrong I was, because a second later the presenter announced my name and the Sudanese flag was in my hand.

I had about a minute to think about it as I collected my folder, waved to my parents, and took my seat. Then it was back to the fun of the event- my friend on my right side literally squealed and jumped out of her seat when she was called for Riga, my left-hand friend was clearly in shock at getting Geneva. It was so exciting to see all of my classmates get their assignments after getting to know them for 5 weeks. It's hard to believe it's only been 5 weeks, because with each flag, I knew if that was what he or she wanted, it that would be good for his or her family.

All in all, I think the CDOs did a pretty great job at giving people posts that made them happy. So far I've only discovered a couple people who were clearly disappointed in their assignments. A lot of people were confused at how they ended up with a certain flag in their hand, but more than anything people were uber-happy.

I'm still wrapping my head around Sudan. It is going to be such an amazing time to be there, getting experience in my cone, in the heart of one of the biggest focal points of the international community. Sure, I'll have to deal with the drawbacks of limited mobility and nasty weather (but hopefully I'll come back with a nice tan). But besides that, I think this is going to be AMAZING. I'm hoping to get some more info tomorrow on what to do next. Right now I just want to get it all moving! Who needs another week of A-100 when I have to apply for a diplomatic passport, contact my embassy, and pack up my life over the next two months?!!

WAHOO!

SO EXCITED.

The job is fabulous, the current political climate is amazing, and another super awesome 160th-er is going too!

KHARTOUM IN JUNE!

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow's the big day! Flag day is only 16.5 hours away. Good lord.

Hopefully I will have some wonderful news to report after that. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy some other flag day stories, and keep your fingers crossed for me. 

T-6

In 6 days I'll know where I'm going to spend the next two years of my life.

But before that, let's catch up on the last several weeks!

1) Bid list: done and done. I rethought my preferences, went with my gut, and got it submitted. Now it's out of my hands, and I'm trying to forget how I ranked everything. As far as I'm concerned, right now everything's a high and I'm going to be happy with whatever they hand me on Friday.

2) Offsite! The vibrant members of the 160th had a great 2-night trip out in rural America that we are now safely recovered from. Let's just say our esprit d'corps is sky high.

3) Socializing to the max: It's great having 88 new friends eager to go out around town and try new things. In the past few weeks, I've gone to a pub quiz, Moroccan restaurant complete with belly dancing, market shopping, and more happy hours than I can count. My wallet is feeling the pinch, my kitchen misses me, but I'm definitely glad to get to spend time with my amazing classmates, many of whom will be jetting off in the coming months.

Okay, so hopefully you, like me, are focused on nothing else in the universe expect next Friday. Flag day, flag day! The course coordinators are doing a great job of keeping us busy this week, but I'm sure that the days will just be dragging on and on. So I'll just keep singing....


Flag day, flag day gonna find out on flag day
Everyone's looking forward to their posting, posting

In other news, looks like we'll have a new group of A-100ers at FSI next month afterall! Congrats to everyone who just got invites to the 161st.