First Week

Yes, I know, it's been way too long since my last post. But I think I have some good excuses. The first week of orientation was pretty crazy, and I wasn't always clear on what I could and couldn't talk about in a public forum.

Here are some thoughts, in no particular order, on our first week in D.C.

I really enjoy wearing a suit everyday, but it's no bueno in the summer. Unfortunately, all my ties ended up packed in our air shipment (no word yet on delivery) so I've been forced to expand my tie collection.

Traffic is fairly horrendous on the main roadways, but everything we need is pretty close. That said, GPS has been invaluable.

I love the Metro. Our aparment complex runs a shuttle all day from the front office to the nearest metro station (8-9 blocks away). It's a nice break from driving everywhere, and walking is nice.

I didn't think I would get MORE excited about my new job, but I am. Some of the briefings have been kinda sleepy, but we've heard some great testimony from other FSOs at all career levels.

This week we received our bidlists--the list of available assignments for entry-level officers. Sara and I have spent a good amount of time reviewing the list, ranking the assingments, and researching the posts. We find out on July 20 where our first assignment will be, and I'll make sure to post it promptly here.