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| My early years as a Peace Corps blogger - circa 2006 |
While I haven't started A-100* quite yet, I might now officially consider myself a "Foreign Service Blogger." Having already been a "Peace Corps Blogger," I'm well aware of some of the dos and don'ts of putting things out there for the world to see as an official representative of the United States. But, with the FS**, the stakes are much bigger and my representation much more official. That black passport does more than just get you into the short line at airport customs, it means that you are a representative of the United States in your official AND personal interactions with the outside world.
So I've been thinking about what this will mean as I transition my writing from a civilian considering and pursuing life in the FS to actually living and walking the life everyday. There are hundreds of FS bloggers out there right now, and I've been incredibly thankful for their candid accounts of life as FSOs. I hope that by continuing to write about the ups, downs, and mundanes, I can pay it forward just a little. In this vain, I've created a list on the right of the FS blogs that I follow in my google reader, each offering their own perspective on life as an FSO or FS family member. Also, recognizing that there are many many things which will need to go unsaid here, I'll link to an article written by one of the more active FS bloggers about how to continue writing a blog that is interesting and entertaining without putting your job/life/U.S. policy in jeopardy.
So in the coming weeks, as I receive all my paperwork and get my head wrapped around the next steps, I'll fill in some of the blanks of what happens next. I'll also be transitioning out of the job that I've had and very much enjoyed for the past 2.5 years, so I'm sure there will be reflections to be had there. All of that aside, it's also spring, so there will be Cherry Blossoms to enjoy and other outdoor activities to be experience, hopefully with some accompanying photos to share. Peace!
*A-100 - The course officially known as the "Orientation for Foreign Service Officers" is the 6-week class all new foreign service officers take.
** FS or FSO - Foreign Service or Foreign Service Officer. While I always attempt to refrain from going overboard on the acronyms, spelling out foreign service is just getting annoying and so from here on out I will almost always use FS or FSO.
