Port Louis, Mauritius!!!!

Friday was Flag Day, and we got our first assignment in the Foreign Service to Port Louis, Mauritius!  Beginning in August, 2011, I will be the Political/Military Officer in the U. S. Embassy there. 
Shelly and I are thrilled with the assignment, and we look forward to getting there and starting work. I will spend the better part of this summer here in Arlington taking classes, including French, before we leave.  Shelly is hoping to take some French language classes as well. 
We hope you will find these resources to be helpful in learning about Mauritius, if you are interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius
http://mauritius.usembassy.gov/

The island of Mauritius is renowned for having been the only known home of the dodo. This bird was an easy prey to settlers due to its weight and inability to fly, and became extinct less than eighty years after the initial European colonization.
Oh, yes, the Republic of Mauritius also has some nice beaches and water sports.  As you can see from the map above, it is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and the southern tip of Africa. 
We also understand that the season from January to April is very wet, and the rest of the year is drier.



So, at this point, we don't yet have a definite departure date, but it appears we will be in the DC/VA/MD area until at least August. 
We look forward to hearing from you!

David and Shelly

Easter Sunday Report

Happy Easter, everyone. On this holiest of days in Christendom, we pause to remember our tradition's lessons of sacrifice, of redemption, and rebirth.

Shelly and I are thoroughly enjoying our rejuvenation and our new lives. Though we have not been thorough about chronicling our new adventure, we are committed to getting better at keeping this blog going.

It has been a month now since we arrived in Washington. My daily routine is to get on the shuttle bus each morning to the Foreign Service Institute, America's school for diplomats. My lessons each day are interesting and designed to prepare me to work somewhere in our country's diplomatic corps overseas.

The really compelling question for us is where our first post will be. The answer to this question will be revealed this Friday, when we participate in the time-honored "Flag Day" ceremony in which my classmates and I are each given flags indicating our new assignment. It could be anywhere on the planet. At the same time, the assignment will tell us when we are expected to report for duty, and how much additional training (language, area studies, etc.) will be required.

Shelly is getting her share of training too. She's become a regular yoga practitioner, and today will be taking class on how to teach English as a foreign language. She's also been a quick study on the mechanics and law of transporting pets overseas and learning more about geography than she ever thought possible.

So, in a couple days, we will post our new flag on this site, and you will know what we know about our destination for the next couple years. Wish us luck!!

David and Shelly

Leaving New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM March 20, 2011 What were we thinking? To leave a home that has defined us for decades, to say farewell to family and friends that are so dear and beloved, to give up great work of professional accomplishment and personal satisfaction, to vacate a beautiful home and leave it to the vagaries of a lousy real estate market, to drive away from a city and state that are arguably the most beautiful and enchanting on the planet? What were we thinking? And for what? The uncertainty of a life on the road? A Foreign Service posting that is unknown until at least 6 weeks from now? The constant, nagging thought that we might, just might, be absolutely crazy. There is no comfort in knowing that we are the only ones we know doing such a reckless thing with their lives and futures. The further insanity of the notion that we should be prepared for any of these: Iceland, Congo, Quito, Port au Prince or Papua New Guinea . . . or any of hundreds others. After weeks of "the long goodbye," we depart in the morning. Packing for months of uncertainty is an art form. Will we be in Washington for the spring, the hot muggy summer, or for the next year? How many shoes, shirts, jackets? How to fit it into the small, square confines of the Nissan Xterra that will be our home as we cross America . . . . Finally, how do you really say good bye? Is it "see you later"? "See you in two years?" "Wear sunscreen?" "Read our blog?" Our route takes us through mid-America: Dalhart, Liberal, Wichita, Columbia, Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, Columbus. Bailey will insist on frequent romps through municipal green spaces, and we'll find our share of roadside attractions. Partly, it's a march through some of David's former home sites, and visits with midwestern relatives, chances to enjoy the presence of friends and family we might not see for a while. This is not easy. None of it is. But, yet, there is a certain giddiness that we are, at this late stage in our lives, somehow managing to "chuck it all" and set out on a new career, lifestyle, and course. There's an abundance of enthusiasm about the new ways: how we will communicate electronically, what foods we will and won't eat, what "stuff" we can do without and for how long, and what this new employer will want from us. So, departing New Mexico is the task for the next few hours. We are comforted by the fact that we will be back home soon and often, and that we can stay in contact even from a distance. We will try to keep this blog going, to keep the noise to a minimum, and to watch for and respond to your comments and questions. Let's all enjoy the ride. Hasta la vista!

The Land of Ahs

Liberal, Kansas March 22, 2011.

The first night in our journey to the world involves sleeping in Dorothy and Toto's town. With strong winds all day yesterday, it wasn't hard to get into the story of Dorothy's house being flown away. Our Toto, Bailey, enjoyed romping on the Yellow Brick Road and peeing on the monument on the Land of Oz grounds. The scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion seemed amused by Bailey's antics.

Out here on the southwest corner of Kansas, we're experiencing America's steppes. (According to Shelly's Wikipedia research, these are not unsimilar to the steppes of Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, where Heather is in her second week of Peace Corps training.) These steppes are wind-whipped fields of last year's crop debris, punctuated by grain elevators.

Our drive from Albuquerque took us through Tucumcari, Dalhart, Stratford, Guymon, and Hooker. Between the wheat fields and the feed lots, the area starts to look like America's dinner table. We're headed for the pantry today as we cross Kansas cornfields to the banks of the mighty Missouri. We'll have a chance to visit Aunt Jan Durrett, my mom's only sister for dinner and a quick overnight before continuing east.

We're off to see the Wizard! Just follow the Yellow Brick Road . . .