FSS Orientation: Day 1

So, today was the day.  Something that started years ago finally came to pass.  Today was the first day of Foreign Service Orientation (specialists) for me and 80+ other men and women from all different backgrounds, specialties, and areas.

The day started early because, basically, I was awake by 4:30 am.  Since I didn't want to be late on the first day -- and be "that guy" -- I went ahead a got up.  It was nice, though, because I did some yoga, which I think helped me calm down and center.  Shower, coffee, breakfast, and out the door by 6:40.  Metro, Rosslyn to Foggy Bottom, and a walk down 23rd Street and there I was:  outside the Harry S. Truman Building, a.k.a. Main State, and greeting some of my fellow members of the 138th Foreign Service Specialist Orientation class.  

(stock photo from the internet)

Talking with a new colleague, I realized that I forgot my passport.

WHAT?!?!

Yep, I forgot my passport.  I put it specifically out on the counter to remember to bring it, and don't you know went out of my apartment without it.  About 10 seconds of panic thinking I needed to go back to Rosslyn to get it, and then I realized I did remember to bring the original of my birth certificate.  Go figure!  I spoke with one of the HR people helping us and my birth certificate with my MA driver's license would be just fine.

WHEW!  

Did I mention that it was so humid this morning that I was melting inside my suit?  Well, I was.  Good news is that so was everyone else -- it wasn't just me.

Day 1 outfit:  charcoal suit, blue and white striped shirt, red, white and blue rep-striped tie.

How to describe the first day?  Very administrative.  I won't lie -- being inside the Department of State building felt really, really cool.  Definitely.  But today was all about paperwork.  Lots and lots of paperwork.  And PowerPoint.  And lots of information that doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense right now, but will in a bit.

Oh, and having problems with PowerPoint presentations seems to be universal.

We took the Oath of Office* this morning, learned lots of stuff, got lots of handouts on health insurance and retirement, and had a great (and a bit intimidating) security briefing.

Then...we got our badges!  Once I had that and was walking back to the Foggy Bottom Metro station with one of my new FMO colleagues, it really hit me.  

I am diplomacy.  And this is going to be really cool.

*This was taken administratively in order to get on the payroll and receive our badges.  It still has meaning.  Our swearing-in ceremony will be at the end of orientation and we will take the Oath again.

The Adventure Begins...

Today was the day for my move to DC/Arlington, VA.  Everything went smoothly:  airport, flight, landing.  Into a cab for a quick ride from DCA to my temporary apartment at the Slate building of Sedona-Slate.  A quick check in and unpacking and it, kinda, feels like home -- for a while, at least.

The apartment is quite nice.  It's a one-bedroom, furnished and outfitted for temporary stays.  It's got a good view of Clarendon Boulevard in Rosslyn (if you like urban landscapes, it's great).  As a bonus, it has a "den", which is another small room with a closet, but without a door.  So, not quite a 2-bedroom.  I've got the apartment through Oakwood as part of the lodging program with the State Department.  I'll be here through my orientation, which starts July 13 and runs for three weeks.  During the third week of orientation I'll find out how much training I'll need for the job I'll find out about, which will let me know how much longer I'll be in this apartment.

Here are some pics of the apartment:

Outside:  bike lanes!

After settling in, I decided to explore my new neighborhood a bit.  Headed out to find the Rosslyn Metro station, but it started raining, so I went back to get my umbrella.  Headed back out and found the station -- then found that I forgot my wallet.  Returned to my new apartment once more.  I thought that since I'm going out, I might as well find a grocery store to get a few days worth of food (not much, since no car).  Internets told me that a Trader Joe's is located two metro stops at Clarendon Metro.  So, back to the Rosslyn station.

One caveat:  make sure you take the correct train.  I accidentally took the Blue Line and had to turn around at Arlington Cemetery.  OK, back to Rosslyn and the ORANGE Line this time.  Luckily, I found it

YAY!  And, this one has beer and wine -- Hello, La Ferme Julien Rosé!

A little exploring of my building:

Lounge and Billiards Room

Rooftop Terrace

Rooftop Pool

Fitness Center (yes, I did go inside, but forgot to take the pic in there)

As you can tell from some of the pics, it did rain.  Actually, the skies opened up and it poured.  Luckily just after I returned from Trader Joes.

Tomorrow I'll explore around the neighborhood, maybe use the fitness center and the pool, and figure out how to join Capital Bike Share.

First Pack Out Done

On Wednesday, I had my first Foreign Service Pack Out.  Not all that exciting, really.  Some movers came -- very promptly, I might add -- put my stuff into airfreight boxes, had me sign some papers, and then took it away.  I don't know if it's already in DC or if it's sitting at Logan airport, or in some warehouse in Lawrence.  But, I'll trust the process that it will make it's way down the East Coast and get to me sometime before my orientation is over.  Hopefully, it will be there sooner.  Here's what my life distilled to...

A "15 Cube" air freight shipping box

The scale is important, since I get 250 pounds -- including the weight of the containers.

All boxed up and ready to go!

Last Saturday, my husband (I have to get used to calling him that), Mark, threw me very nice Patriotic/July 4th-themed going away party.  It's been a custom for us that wherever we travel we try to buy a flag of that country or state or city.  So, we have lots of flags that I sometimes fly along with our American Flag.  For the party, Mark made "flag poles" that he attached to our fence and created our own private "Hall of Flags"

In this picture, L to R:  Albania, Quebec, France, British Virgin Islands (from Tortola), the HRC banner, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Mark is holding the flag of Curaçao, behind it is Turkey, and behind that is Montenegro.  Not pictured, but flying, are Argentina, Macedonia, California, Laos, and Indonesia.

It was a lovely, and touching, party with many of my friends from the area.  A nice send off to DC and then points onward.

One Week until First Packout

It's only one week until movers come to pack my unaccompanied air baggage - aka air freight - for my initial move to the Washington, DC area.  I've started putting things into one of our spare bedrooms (which also functions as guest room, yoga room, sometimes workout room, and second TV room) and thinking about what will go UAB and what I will take with me as checked baggage on my flight -- which is in only two weeks.

This is a somewhat odd and new feeling for me:  trying to distill my life into 250 pounds*. Each time I've moved before I either didn't have much (OKC to DC; DC to Boston) or it all came with, like when we purchased our house.  It's a good exercise for trying to determine what's really important and what's not - along with what can go away (I'm looking at you, three-button suits).

Another first -- I'm sure this isn't nearly the last time I'll be uttering that phrase -- we're getting our wills and other estate planning documents all in order.  Never had one before and it's a bit weird to really focus on your own demise and death.  It needs to be done, though.

The community garden is coming along really well this year.  Figures, since I'll be leaving it at the height of growing season.  Mark will take good care of it, I have no doubt.

I finished a new messenger bag to take with me to DC.  Purple-ish Marc Jacobs thick cotton fabric for the outside and an adorable Japanese-made cotton map print for the lining, pockets, and accents.  It's pretty cute!

What else...We got married!

Yep, after about 20 years together, we decided it's finally time to make it official.  We had a lovely, tiny Tuesday-evening ceremony at home.  We wanted to use our yard (I call it a 'Beacon Hill Garden'), but there were threats of heavy thunderstorms and even, possibly, tornado activity.  So, we had it in our front parlor, with a Justice of the Peace, and a few great friends.  It was hot and steamy -- literally, since we don't have A/C.  Dinner afterwards at Rossetti's down the street was fantastic, and Chris Rossetti was very nice and charming!

L to R:  Bob S., Bob A., Tony, Me, Mark, Jamie, Dean, Neal, David -- all our "Best Men"

Dean and Bob



*Ok, maybe that's a bit melodramatic.  I get 250 pounds for my air freight.  I also get two checked bags -- each 50 pounds, plus a carry-on bag -- about 25 pounds, plus one personal "item" -- let's say another 15 pounds.  So, really, I guess that makes about 390 pounds total.

Travel Orders!

I got my travel orders, or Appoint Orders, yesterday afternoon.  With that I was able to get my flight from Boston to DC arranged.  I also started coordinating my packing and moving.

It's feeling real.  Five weeks from today I'll be heading down to DC and moving into an apartment in Arlington.  

My pack out date is July 1, so that's only four weeks away.  I don't have any furniture or large appliances or stuff like that (called HHE - house hold effects) to worry about for now so packing and moving should be fairly easy.  Hopefully, my air freight, or unaccompanied air baggage (UAB), will already be in DC and can be delivered to my apartment before orientation starts on July 13.  I do need to see if my bicycle will be shipped UAB or if I have to make other arrangements.  DC and Northern Virginia have become very bike-forward since I've been there last, so I definitely want my bicycle with me.

I've gone through my clothes and culled a lot.  Two large bags for Goodwill and another large bag of suits, shirts, slacks, etc. for a work-clothing drive at the Boston Design Center.  Feels good to purge things.  Now I have an idea of what I'll need to buy to rebuild my working wardrobe:  suits, a few shirts, a couple of pairs of pants, some ties.  Dress during three-week orientation is suit and tie; during training that follows, probably less formal, but still professional.

I changed my goal of making five pairs of pants to altering and restyling pants I already have, based on a thorough review of my clothing.  That's done!  Now I'm making a messenger bag to take with me.  It's based on this Bathurst Bag pattern but a bit larger with a few style changes.  No pics, yet, but when I'm done.

Lots more to do in the next few weeks.  After so much waiting, though, it's nice to have movement and be busy.

One Thing Done...

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!

It's Really Happening!

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.

______________________________
**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!