Well, I think one thing is done (or nearly): Housing. I'll know more later, but I'm pretty sure I've taken care of housing for orientation and training in Arlington, VA. I should be staying in a one bedroom, furnished apartment at either Sedona or Slate. Right now I don't know which building or which apartment, but at least I know I have somewhere to stay for my first few months in the DC area. That's something!
Pics from the web:
Sedona:
(not the actual apartment I'll get)
Slate:
(probably not my apartment, either)
Either one looks nice and I'm sure I'll enjoy whichever building and apartment I get. They're in Rosslyn, which is only one metro stop from DC and has both Orange and Blue lines running through the station. Sedona-Slate is also only three blocks from the Rosslyn metro station, so that's great. There's secure bike parking & storage, a rooftop pool, two fitness centers (one in each building), a pocket park, and the shuttle stop to the Foreign Service Institute is one street over. Perfect!
I lived in DC before moving to Boston. That's where Mark and I met. That was over 20 years ago. I lived up on Florida Avenue and 15th Street NW -- the edge of the U-Street area. Back then it was just getting redeveloped and becoming trendy again. It will be fun to see all the changes, what hasn't changed, and get a different perspective on DC (from across the river).
Move date is July 8!
Well, it's finally happened: I got an invitation to join the Foreign Service! July 13, 2015 is the start of specialist orientation in Washington, DC (well, Arlington, VA technically). It's been a long process with starts and stops, highs and lows, and lots of waiting**. But now it's coming and I'm so excited to start this next part of my life. Special THANK YOU to my partner, Mark, for sticking by me during this whole process, while unemployed, while in school, and back in the job search. I Love You!
My specialty will be Financial Management Officer. I think there are six of us in the July orientation (there are 22 different specialties, so I expect a good mix in this class). I was out on my bicycle, had just stopped at our new Starbucks on the Lynnway (and hopefully not to be the only Starbucks in Lynn), and was contemplating continuing to ride down Revere Beach and back when I got a call from the Registrar at the Department of State asking if I was interested.
Was I?...I was!
So I stashed my iced grande, sugar-free vanilla, coconut milk latte (yeah, they love me at Starbucks, I bet) in my bike's drink holder and pedaled on home to reply (YES) to the e-mailed offer.
This morning I got notice that a UPS package is on it's way to me from the State Department. No, not a black passport, yet, but I'm sure lots of hiring and on-boarding paperwork to peruse, fill out, and either return or bring with me to DC in about six weeks.
Six weeks!
Wow, that seems quick. I feel like I have so much to do between now and then. I won't detail it all now. I do have a goal of keeping this blog updated at least weekly (maybe more frequently). The few blogs I've been able to read about the Foreign Service and the process (and training and assignments) has been invaluable to me -- if nothing more than to keep me sane during my process. So, hopefully, I can help out others who want to join the Foreign Service, or are interested in it, or may just be interested in me.
But what about the shirts???
I finished them. Well...mostly. They both still need buttons. Everything else is done with them, though. I'll post pictures later. And, I've set myself another goal: 5 pairs of pants before moving to DC and starting orientation.
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**So, one's timeline for the Foreign Service is very popular among potential officers and candidates, so here's mine:
- Took FSOT in October, 2011: passed.
- Submitted PNQ responses in November, 2011: didn't make the cut.
- Took FSOT again in October, 2012: passed.
- Submitted PNQ responses in November, 2012: made the cut.
- Invited to FSO Oral Assessment in January, 2013.
- FSO Oral Assessment on May 30, 2013: didn't quite make the required score.
- Saw and applied for FSS FMO job posting in June, 2013.
- Notified of passing minimum qualifications in August, 2013.
- Notified of passing Qualification Evaluation Panel in December, 2013.
- Scheduled FSS FMO Oral Assessment in January, 2014.
- FSS FMO Oral Assessment on March 13, 2014: I passed with 5.70 score!
- Met with Security Officer in late March, 2014.
- Medical clearance given in late April, 2014.
- Security clearance investigation done in late May, 2014.
- Notified of passing Final Review Panel and placed on the FMO register on June 20, 2014.
- Waited and checked status and ranking.
- Waited and checked status and ranking.
- Waited and checked status and ranking.
- Received offer on May 20, 2015!
