Great Strides

One year ago today I sat the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). I came out of it tired and hungry (it was a late afternoon exam). I was sure that even if I'd somehow managed to pass the multiple choice portion, that my essay had gone down in flames. I'd never written such worthless rubbish in my life. Nonetheless, I also came out hoping against hope that somehow I would pass and continue forward in the process. Waiting a whole year to restart the process, waiting a whole year to retake the FSOT, waiting a whole year to try to achieve the dream just seemed so impossible long.

A whole year later, I'm in DC, staying with relatives. I flew in yesterday and start training Monday. It's amazing how quickly the year has gone and how far I've managed to come. It's rather surreal.

The movers came to my parents' last Friday to pack me out. About 200 pounds are on their way to DC for me to have while I'm here before being sent to my first post. Everything else is on its way to storage until I'm shipped abroad. A representative from the moving company called the week before to find out if there was anything particularly large or fragile they'd be moving.

"I have a baby grand piano."

"That's good to know. How about a bed?"

"No bed."

Incredulously, "No bed?"

"Nope. But lots of books."

I think I have my priorities straight. My mother witnessed my end of the conversation.

Last Friday, the company sent out one lone packer, who was there 9 to 5 packing all my kitchen, books, crafts, and odds and ends. Around 11, the mover showed up. Yes, the mover. One mover. And I have a baby grand piano. He took one look at it when I told him it was going and he did not look happy. Apparently the company forgot to tell him about the piano, so he hadn't brought anybody to help him move things. He roped the packer into helping him move the piano, and somehow after much fuss (I couldn't watch) they got it on to the truck. Let's hope it makes it to post in good condition. Many thanks to my parents for letting me run off with the piano rather sooner than previously expected. There's something therapeutic about sitting down to the piano at the end of the day and just playing. It should help preserve my sanity in the years to come.

After the vast majority of my worldly possessions were loaded on the truck and hit the road, Mom and I spent the weekend going through my old room. We emptied all the closet and drawers. (We refilled one of the drawers with things I want to keep that I finally found when we were going through my room--after the movers left, of course.) We bagged up towels which Mom took to our dog's vet. We bagged up old clothing which Mom dropped off at hospice. We threw out and recycled countless bits and pieces that I haven't seen in years. There were still some things lying around the room when I got on the plane yesterday, but we made huge progress.

It is insanely annoying that the airlines have not only started charging to check bags, but have also decreased the weight limit for a checked bag. My mother helped me pack things into the bags so that we could maximize use of my limited space--when you get 2 suitcases and 200 pounds of shipped belongings and you might be somewhere for upward of a year, it's important to pack prudently. My mother is an expert packer, so her help was much appreciated. Unfortunately, my mother is programmed to pack 70 pounds into a bag. When the airline will charge you an extra $125 for a 51-pound bag, 70 pounds doesn't cut it. When we did our finally weighing of my two checked bags, they both came in at 51 pounds. We just laughed. It was getting late and we were going to be up at 4:30 the next morning to get me to the airport on time for my flight. We readjusted things to put the bags at 49 pounds--a 1-pound margin, just in case. We also packed a "weekend bag" to get me through a few days at my aunt and uncle's, so that I would have the necessities while United lost my luggage, as is their custom.

Mom went to bed by 12:30. I went to bed at 3. I got no pity, because people figured I could sleep on my flight. People did not figure on a 21-month-old kicking me in the ribs (accidentally) as I tried to doze off. Nor on the 4 or so other babies screaming periodically throughout the flight. So much for catching a nap. On the positive side, I was tuckered out enough at the end of the day to slip right into East Coast time. Hopefully I'll be on track to get up Monday, though catching a 7:10am shuttle to work isn't particular fun for me in any time zone.

So I got to Virginia in one piece. And with all my luggage (gasp!). I'm enjoying a few days hanging out with family. It was such a relief to have someone at this end waiting for me and ready to help out. Moving over the past couple of weeks has taken a lot out of me and it's nice to have a couple of days to recover and adjust, surrounded by loved ones. It's wonderful to see everyone again, even if some of the cousins have no clue who I am--it's been 7-10 years since I saw most of them, and I've certainly changed in that time. I'm really looking forward to seeing family regularly while I'm in the DC area--both for training and on assignment--in the years to come. It's one of the many perks for me in this line of work.

I'll move into my apartment for the duration of training on Saturday. A friend from LA who is also in the 141st A-100 class and I are planning to meet up after we've both finished moving on Saturday. I'll get a chance to meet the majority of my future classmates Sunday and the meet and greet that the 139th, our sponsor class, has arranged. And then all 90 of us will be together at 8am on Monday morning to start A-100.

It's exciting. I'm very much looking forward to getting started. This is definitely a long way off sitting the FSOT at a Los Angeles trade school a year ago.