As Alex outlined, the process of applying to, and being accepted into, the foreign service is a long one.  It’s been well over a year since we trekked to Philadelphia  on a February morning for the written test.  Through all that time, the foreign service has mostly remained vague – a fuzzy “what if” in our future.  But now that offers have been made and accepted, and Alex’s A-100 class is confirmed, the foreign service is starting to become much more real.

We are now, for the first time, planning the real logistics of our transition to foreign service life.  A moving service has been confirmed.  Alex has quit her job.  We decided on an apartment in DC.  We are trying to find a new tenant for our current apartment.  All is not done.  We still have to arrange our transportation to DC and our accommodations for New York after our apartment has been packed up, but before we can head to Washington.  On top of all of this, we are planning a four day trip to San Francisco with my parents and a four week road trip to the Midwest to spend some time with our families.  Needless to say, we’ve been very, very busy.

So I thought that now, as a break from planning our every move for the next two months, I would list the top five reasons that I, personally, am excited about the foreign service:

5.  We get to move to a nice apartment in DC that will be, literally, twice as large as our current place, complete with washer/dryer, dishwasher, balcony, gym, breakfast, pool, more than one closet, an actual kitchen and few, if any, mice.

4.  We have a rare opportunity to move almost anywhere in the world and not only see, but live in places we’ve only read about in books (or not even heard of, as the case may turn out to be).

3.  I’ll finally get to try my hand at something besides working at an advertising agency – whether I am able to join the foreign service myself, teach English, get a master’s degree or find something totally new, I think my advertising days as I know them are behind me.

2.  Alex will embark on an amazing career with great benefits.

1.  I get a diplomatic passport and diplomatic immunity.  I’m not quite sure how I could use these, but it’s just nice to say.