My New Years Eve was spent on the couch, feverish, with chills, and feeling generally like crap. Ahhh, holiday illnesses. Christmas with bronchitis, NYE with the flu. I love it! At least I think I was up at midnight, as I heard a lot of noisemakers/cheering/what I hope was fireworks at some point during my fitful sleeping.
On a better note, I got the job I interviewed for last week. Pending a Secret security clearance, I will be the Investigative Assistant in the DS Fraud Unit here in Santo Domingo. The title is a lot more glamorous than the job seems, though. A more realistic title is Report-Writing Desk Jockey. But hey, I WAS an English major, so it’s right up my alley. Arrest reports heading to Main State will now be Pulitzer-worthy.
But now begins the long and arduous task of finding a nanny. Our housekeeper is only here three days a week, and while she’s good with Son, I don’t want someone who keeps an eye on him while cleaning. We’re looking for a full-time, here-every-day person who’s primary focus will be Son. I’m trying to set up a few interviews this week, and hopefully we’ll have someone soon-ish (pending the RSO screening process – if you’ve never hired @ post, the RSO will launch an extensive background check on any Domestic you care to hire. We only ran a credit/criminal check on the housekeeper, but we plan on a full vetting for the nanny).
Now on to the 2010 in review stuff:
Around this time last year, I was enjoying my last 72 hours of no responsibilities at Oakwood Falls Church, as I was starting Spanish language training at FSI on Jan. 4. What a difference a year makes. I had several semesters of Spanish in college, a ten-year gap, then FSI. Now I’m using Spanish every day, and going to be in a job where I will attend meetings all in Spanish, translate and synthesize reports in all Spanish, and basically be surrounded by Spanish (for pay, however – so it’s better this way).
Our year involved a lot of language training, a lot of agonizing over what to bring to the Dominican Republic, a lot of agonizing over whether we made the right choice, a lot of goodbyes, a lot of meeting new people, etc. We made it here in August, and it’s been pretty good.
Yeah, I’ve been homesick. We are struggling with a 3-year-old who doesn’t really like to sleep. We haven’t really had any “us time” due to the non-sleeping toddler and lack of childcare. But 2010 was a good year all-in-all.
We’re looking forward to 2011 (wow, I can’t believe I am typing that) being even better.
A Happy and Prosperous 2011 to all my good readers!
Congrats on the job and Happy New Year. Thanks for sharing your journey!!!
It is time for the Weekly State Department Blog Round Up and you are on it!
It is found here:
http://smallbitsfs.blogspot.com/2011/01/part-2-new-stuff-and-100-or-so-blog.html
If you would like the links to your site removed (or corrections are needed) please contact me. Thanks!