Over the hump

So, the day I'd been dreading is over: saying goodbye to my friends and co-workers at EPD. It's actually a relief to have it over with and to know that I've left my job in good hands (thanks Kathy!) and that my friends won't vanish just beause I'm not there to visit with them in the hallways.  We're not falling off the earth, and perhaps my adventures will provide some interesting lunchroom fodder? Half of me wanted to just slip out the back door, and the other half was sad realizing, "Oh, but I missed saying goodbye to so-and-so..."  I've read and re-read your cards, tearing up equally each time.

But I can now focus on the task at hand: preparing for this new life. And more immediately: what to pack for the short-term (I have 250 lbs allotted); for the long-term (18,000 lbs!); what to give away and what to store because we just can't part with it/don't know what else to do with it (anyone need an accordian?). We want to bring things that will make our home a home, while keeping in mind that if the angry mob storms the embassy (stay low - they shoot too high, right? I remember what you said Duvall!) and we have to make a break for it with only the clothes on our back and our cats in pillowcases - we won't be losing family treasures. With all the turmoil in Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula now, it's not unthinkable that we could get posted to a country that gets evacuated.

So I'm now starting to meet the other Specialists in my orientation class via a Google group the class before us set up. We've all swapped introductions and I'm learning that they're diplomatic security and doctors and IT and office and facilities managers from all walks of life. It's becoming more real as we all talk about converging on the island on March 12. We'll have three weeks of orientation together (which has already been dubbed "Death by Powerpoint" in full business attire) and then we break up into our specialties for specific training. After that - we all ship out to our various posts to actually DO the job we've been working so hard to obtain.

Okay, I want to keep any readers I may have and not blather on too long about the boring details.  Thank you for getting this far!

It's snowing and peaceful outside now, very nice.

G'night for now.