It's now 2 weeks before I am wheels up and leaving Muscat, Oman. What a fabulous place! I will miss so much about Oman. There are gorgeous beaches, beautiful striking mountains, lots of sand and camels...and wonderful people. Right now I'm taking a break from trying to sort all my stuff into piles...things to go in my suitcase, things to ship that will go by air and arrive in Pakistan soon(er) than the things that will be shipped later, things that will go into storage for 2 years....yes, 2 YEARS! Can you imagine not seeing some of your favorite things for 2 years?? Due to where I'm headed (Lahore, Pakistan) I am not taking anything with me that I have an emotional attachment to...just in case I have to leave fast, abandoning all my belongings. It makes it easier to sort but harder since I know I won't see my stuff for years. *sigh* But...that's the Foreign Service for you. Most of the time, most of your stuff follows you everywhere. It's just that I have so many decisions to make that my head is not processing it all like I wish it would. I also need to pack my suitcase, pack a box of things I want to mail to Lahore so it will be there when I arrive. Things like my favorite Hawaiian coffee, some work clothes and shoes (things I don't want to take up room in my suitcase). The list goes on and on. Oy. Fortunately, it will all come together in 2 weeks and I'll be able to breathe again without feeling the stress of a move to another country.
Although it may sound like I'm complaining, I wouldn't trade these times for anything. I have the best job in the world and moving every 2-3 years is something you eventually get used to. It sure does keep you from accumulating too much 'stuff' along the way. We do have weight limitations on our shipped things so we are always being careful about just what we collect. Of all the things I will have collected during my short 6 year career as a Foreign Service diplomat, the memories will weigh nothing and I will take them with me wherever I go.
