I’ve wanted to write something about interior decoration in the FS but never really knew what. I’m not exactly good at decorating, nor do...

I just wrapped up my second week in the consular section in Berlin and I feel good. I was a little worried about the work before I began...

After two weeks of quarantine in Berlin I started working in the office of consular affairs. I go to the office every day and apart from...

The main reason I didn’t pursue a diplomatic career before I had kids was that I couldn’t imagine being both a mom and a diplomat. In my...

This post is written by Megan Dixon, a guest blogger and art graduate with an affinity for international affairs (see more of her...

New (Generalist) FSO start at the bottom of the career ladder, even those who already have 20 years of experience. They all start with...

Can people with dual citizenship qualify for a top secret security clearance for working in the U.S. Federal Government? The answer is...

It’s one of those eternal questions: what’s a good day trip from Washington DC? In my opinion, there’s not a whole lot of choice. Yes,...

A lot of people ask me how many diplomats the State Department is hiring at the moment. I thought the question was moot because the 2017...

Sometimes I wonder if I’m successfully settling into a nice, slower pace of life, or if I’m just slowly losing my mind. One minute I feel...

I’ve written a whole bunch of blog posts on how to enter the Foreign Service and more generally on how to kick-start a career in...

This Saturday saw the biggest Black Lives Matter protests so far in Washington DC. Figuring this is an important event, and being mindful...

When am I moving to Berlin? I don’t know! But I have to be prepared for it anyway, because it could happen any time. Or, more...

I’ve been writing this blog more or less consistently for two and a half years. But I tried blogging before—four times, actually—and it...

Brief update: I took an antibody test at LabCorp last week and got a positive result. I wasn’t surprised. Although I never had a fever or...

On the first day Maryland relaxed its COVID-related restrictions we found ourselves in Ocean City. It’s a three-hour drive from DC, but...

German language training is over! Just like that—no dreaded test, no fretting over scores—I was told I “met the required level” and that...

Writing is an important part of the Foreign Service exam because it’s an important part of being a diplomat. I would argue that, if...

It’s been quite a month! Staying home with my husband and two kids while continuing to work “full-time” has been a challenge. Especially...

I try to speak Dutch with my kids, while my husband usually sticks to English. That way we both speak our native languages and,...