Things are about to change.
There are several of us here in Islamabad, having been evacuated from Lahore back in early August. Everyone is waiting on a memo from Washington DC, among other things, guaranteeing credit for a full term served here as well as the onward assignment that many were able to get by volunteering for service in Pakistan. So far, no news.
My situation is a bit different from everyone else's. I retire in June and the probability of me finding another job in the State Department (hopefully overseas) was slim. I had just about resigned myself to winding up my career in DC, stuck in some mundane job, just waiting for June.
If you happen to be an employee of the government, you know that things never happen quickly. Never. Proposals are submitted, sit in someone's inbox, reviewed, thought about, passed on to the next person for review/approval/rejection...and on and on. We seem to wait forever for something and then once it is either approved or denied, we have to remember just what we requested in the first place. It's just the way things are.
Two weeks ago, I was told about a position in Karachi that fit my needs perfectly. The incumbent was leaving very soon and her replacement wasn't arriving until June. And it was in the Regional Security Office, which is the section I've worked in all 3 tours. Perfect! We started the ball rolling and thanks to everyone here in Islamabad who didn't let an email sit in their inbox for more than a few minutes, I will probably be leaving for Karachi sometime next week. The really good news is my house in Lahore will be packed out and I will be reunited with all my worldly possessions! I can finally get rid of the 6 outfits I've been wearing since August 9th.
The best part of all this is that I finally know where I'll be for the next 7 months. That's been the hardest part of this evacuation...not knowing.
In the meantime, I'm organizing my 6 outfits and the things I've accumulated during the time I've been in Islamabad and getting ready to move to Karachi. I wonder if I'll need a fire permit to burn those outfits...
There are several of us here in Islamabad, having been evacuated from Lahore back in early August. Everyone is waiting on a memo from Washington DC, among other things, guaranteeing credit for a full term served here as well as the onward assignment that many were able to get by volunteering for service in Pakistan. So far, no news.
My situation is a bit different from everyone else's. I retire in June and the probability of me finding another job in the State Department (hopefully overseas) was slim. I had just about resigned myself to winding up my career in DC, stuck in some mundane job, just waiting for June.
If you happen to be an employee of the government, you know that things never happen quickly. Never. Proposals are submitted, sit in someone's inbox, reviewed, thought about, passed on to the next person for review/approval/rejection...and on and on. We seem to wait forever for something and then once it is either approved or denied, we have to remember just what we requested in the first place. It's just the way things are.
Two weeks ago, I was told about a position in Karachi that fit my needs perfectly. The incumbent was leaving very soon and her replacement wasn't arriving until June. And it was in the Regional Security Office, which is the section I've worked in all 3 tours. Perfect! We started the ball rolling and thanks to everyone here in Islamabad who didn't let an email sit in their inbox for more than a few minutes, I will probably be leaving for Karachi sometime next week. The really good news is my house in Lahore will be packed out and I will be reunited with all my worldly possessions! I can finally get rid of the 6 outfits I've been wearing since August 9th.
The best part of all this is that I finally know where I'll be for the next 7 months. That's been the hardest part of this evacuation...not knowing.
In the meantime, I'm organizing my 6 outfits and the things I've accumulated during the time I've been in Islamabad and getting ready to move to Karachi. I wonder if I'll need a fire permit to burn those outfits...
