Apr 13So, 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 11Departure DenialLess 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...
Feb 9Jobs and hiring at U.S. embassiesPeople 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 9FAQ about diplomatic careersWhat was an unexpected challenge when starting your career? Before I graduated I thought that finding a job afterwards would simply be a...
Jan 16Last 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....
Nov 14, 2021Studying International Relations? These 40 jobs are the futureIf you are studying International Relations (IR) you take classes in various disciplines like economics, politics, government, social...
Nov 1, 2021Podcast: American Modern DiplomacyAnother day, another podcast! No really, Modern American Diplomacy is only the third podcast I'm discussing slash recommending. This...
Nov 1, 2021How to beat your fear of public speaking and get good at it in 10 stepsActor George Jessel once said: “The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in...
Oct 27, 2021Next 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...
Sep 21, 2021Trip to Paris 4.0Last 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 11, 2021Evacuating AfghansLast week I worked at Ramstein—the massive U.S. airbase in Germany receiving tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees from Kabul via the...
Aug 29, 2021Scam of the weekWhen you work in the American Citizen Service section, fascinating cases present themselves all the time. Among the most outlandish, I...
Aug 18, 2021Bidding 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 5, 2021Vlieland: a Dutch islandNope, not in the Caribbean or in some other tropical location—it’s right in the North Sea along with four other islands with...
Jul 28, 2021Biking 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 17, 2021The summer of COVID consular ravagesTime 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 12, 2021Sightseeing in BavariaIt’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...
Jun 10, 2021Dumpster diving for notarialsI’ve been working full time in ACS for a few weeks now. I still work in the visa section some days, to help process massive amounts of...
Jun 1, 2021Prison visitsI think few people know that all U.S. prisoners overseas are entitled to a monthly or bi-annual visit by a consular officer. In Berlin...
May 3, 2021Delivering a demarcheAs I’m updating my work requirements, in anticipation of writing my yearly evaluation report, I realize I have to scratch something off...