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Musical chairs
It was around 2:30 PM and I was in a work meeting when I noticed that I was, in fact, wearing two different shoes. I quickly drew my feet...
Aug 27, 2022


Arrival in Mumbai
My second tour has officially begun! I arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday morning via Paris. Entering India on my diplomatic passport was about...
Aug 22, 2022


Unhappy customers
(Oops, I forgot to post this message so it’s a few weeks old, but better than nothing! Off on homeleave adventures now) Today marked a...
Jul 4, 2022


So, how was Berlin?
How to describe Berlin, after living there for almost two years? Many say it's a “cool” city but in my opinion that’s a bit of a...
Apr 13, 2022


Departure Denial
Less than three months left at post! I realize I haven’t been writing as much on this blog as I used to, but this might change soon. I’ve...
Apr 11, 2022


Jobs and hiring at U.S. embassies
People often ask me how to get a job at the U.S. embassy as a diplomat or local hire. I covered the types of Embassy jobs for Americans...
Feb 9, 2022

FAQ about diplomatic careers
What was an unexpected challenge when starting your career? Before I graduated I thought that finding a job afterwards would simply be a...
Feb 9, 2022


Last winter in Berlin...
It's January so as far as I'm concerned the fun part of winter is over and the bad part has just begun. I never liked winters in Europe....
Jan 16, 2022


Studying International Relations? These 40 jobs are the future
If you are studying International Relations (IR) you take classes in various disciplines like economics, politics, government, social...
Nov 14, 2021


Podcast: American Modern Diplomacy
Another day, another podcast! No really, Modern American Diplomacy is only the third podcast I'm discussing slash recommending. This...
Nov 1, 2021


How to beat your fear of public speaking and get good at it in 10 steps
Actor George Jessel once said: “The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in...
Nov 1, 2021


Next assignment: Mumbai!
I just found out my next assignment after Berlin is going to be Mumbai. Yay! I’m very happy for although I don’t know much about the...
Oct 27, 2021

Trip to Paris 4.0
Last weekend I made my fourth trip to Paris. Girls weekend! My BFF and I do a city trip most years. There are two constants: first, the...
Sep 21, 2021

Evacuating Afghans
Last week I worked at Ramstein—the massive U.S. airbase in Germany receiving tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees from Kabul via the...
Sep 11, 2021


Scam of the week
When you work in the American Citizen Service section, fascinating cases present themselves all the time. Among the most outlandish, I...
Aug 29, 2021


Bidding as a tandem couple III: Mexico or India?
My bid list is almost due! Two weeks ago I received a list from my career development officer (CDO) with next year's available positions,...
Aug 18, 2021


Vlieland: a Dutch island
Nope, not in the Caribbean or in some other tropical location—it’s right in the North Sea along with four other islands with...
Aug 5, 2021


Biking the Berlin Wall
Last week I cycled the entire former Berlin Wall. The Berlin Mauerweg (Wall road) is about 100 miles long, or 160k. It’s not particularly...
Jul 28, 2021


The summer of COVID consular ravages
Time to mark my first year as a consular officer and two years in the Foreign Service! While things are going well, it’s hard not to...
Jul 17, 2021


Sightseeing in Bavaria
It’s been a year since I arrived in Germany and the first proper vacation is finally on the books! Although it was more of an...
Jul 12, 2021
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