Today, my A-100 class received a list of just over 100 available jobs at embassies and consulates around the world. Each of us will be filling one of these positions. (Well, probably. The list is a living creature. Before final decisions are made, some jobs may be taken off, while others may be added.) Over the next week or two Andy and I will learn as much as we can about each position before designating it as either a “high,” “medium” or “low” preference.

When you join the Foreign Service, you agree to be worldwide available. In other words, we don’t get final say about our post; I’ll go wherever I’m most needed. Nevertheless, State really does try to accommodate individual preferences — whether that’s to learn a particular language, go to a favorite region of the world, perform a certain type of job, or so forth. We’ll have the chance to explain our bidding strategy to the small group of people responsible for making the assignments.

Unfortunately I can’t tell you what specific positions are on the bid list, but I can say that Andy and I are having a blast looking it over and daydreaming about the many exciting places we could possibly end up! There’s a ton of variety and lots of great options, including a fair number of cities that I couldn’t even identify. Thankfully one of my classmates was smart enough to bring along a list of embassies and consulates so we could easily match the unfamiliar cities with their country.

D-Day, otherwise known as Flag Day, is April 23. Stay tuned!