Re-orienting and Re-exposing to the US (aka Home Leave)

After number of get-togethers, last dinners, and going-away events, I left post this month and headed back to the good Midwest USA.  About half way through this month off of work, I've been indulging in spending time with family and friends, gorging on foods particular to home, and catching up on everything Americana while running a number of errands before leaving for DC for training and then my next assignment.

Home leave is one of nicest perks of the Foreign Service career which is basically 20 work days of paid time-off between assignments to spend time in the US.  Since home leave is time off in-between jobs, it's a nice opportunity to see neglected loved ones in the States without the worry of all the work that may be piling up while you're gone.  It's amazing how much and how many things I've missed from just being away for a year.

The last few months at post were spent diligently working to accomplish work objectives before leaving post, packing and shipping goods for storage and goods for Kabul, as well as apartment-hunting and moving for my wife who will stay behind in Jakarta to work while I transition to my next post.  Immediately after leaving post, the next bidding season began for my follow-on assignment after Afghanistan (we bid and receive assignments about a year before we leave the current and Afghanistan is currently only a one-year tour).  

Coming back too, a stark reminder of the development challenges that still persist in the US with the Ferguson, MO shooting incident making national headlines.  With all the ethnic, religious, and equality issues I'll see in Afghanistan, the US still struggles today in managing similar challenges.

New Home in DC

USAID provided relocation in terms of packing and shipping your belongings.  However, finding a place to live in DC is the responsibility of the candidate.  USAID HR did though provide several information sheets and guides on possible places to look at and things to consider while searching for a place to live.

After going through many Craigslist ads and looking various apartment review websites, I ended up deciding to live with another incoming candidate.  We decided to sublet a house a few blocks from the Foreign Service Institute (where I'll most likely have to attend language training) and split the costs of living.  My roommate found the house through Craigslist and I started moving into the house on Tuesday after reaching DC.

Here's some pics of my new residence.

House from the outside.  Really could use an exterior paint job.

Entryway to the house opens into this room.

This is the kitchen.

The other side of the kitchen.

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Bathroom.

The house should work out alright.  However, there is one issue I've noticed.  I'm HIGHLY allergic to cats and while there isn't a cat living in the home, my allergies have been going crazy indicating one has lived in the house recently.  In order to make this house livable, a thorough decontamination is needed.  That will be the big project for the next few days.  Also, tomorrow evening or early tomorrow will be when my roommate moves in.

Making the Move

I began the journey on Monday to make the drive to Washington DC.  My good friend Elliot was kind enough to join me on the trip an help in sharing the responsibility of driving the car.

The drive from St. Louis to DC was about 15 hours.  It was a fairly uneventful drive but was made significantly easier being able to switch off and have conversation along the way.

Saw lots of signs for the Raper guy along the way.

We stopped at about 9 hours in the drive in the city of Wheeling, WV.  It was a tiny town but did have a casino..

Casino was a bit underwhelming compared to others.

We ate at the buffet there for about $16.  It was very, very small compared to the casino buffets I'm used to but I guess that's how it is with older casinos that face no nearby competition.  I did make about $15 on slots.  E however didn't fare as well.

Packout

Monday was packout day.  I took the day off work to await the movers who would come and box and pack my things.  I've never needed a relocation package before so this was my first time going through the process.  USAID makes all arrangements with a shipping company and handles all the billing and coordination.  The only thing I needed to worry about was just picking a date for when they could come.

This big moving truck pulled up to the my house at 9:00.  The movers were pretty good.  I had most of my stuff organized that I would be taking and they boxed them up and moved all furniture.  I had a bed in storage at my grandparent's warehouse so I had the movers drive out there after they finished up at my house.  Afterward, just needed to fill out and sign some paperwork, receive an inventory of what they did, and they were done.  Was interesting in that they will end up billing based off the number of boxes, the type/weight of furniture, how many steps they took from the vehicle to my house, how many stairs they might have needed to go up or down, etc.  They bill for just about everything.  Makes me wonder, do corporations or governments really get a better rate than consumers?

It was also nice that being able to get to visit my grandparents that day.  I don't speak with them one on one too often and I enjoyed telling my grandma about this new job, what I might doing, and where I might end up going.  It's nice someone in my family, at least, thinks I'm doing something interesting with my career.