Me and My Possessions Reunited!

I have been in Muscat for about a month now. I'm thrilled to report that I have internet at home. Yeahhhh! Today sometime the men from the cable company will be here to install my cable, which means my evenings in front of the television will improve.

I received my HHE (Household Effects) Wednesday night. That's the big shipment that came by boat from Honduras. My UAB (Unaccompanied Air Baggage) is still a no-show, but they do know where it is. When it will get here is anyone's guess. I'm hoping this week. I've taken the past 2 days off as Administrative Days (you are all entitled to 3 days when your HHE arrives so you can set up your house) and could really use one more. But 2 days is enough and I really need to get back to work so I can get some rest! (j/k)

If you are a member of the Foreign Service, please heed this advice. Before you even leave your home for training in Washington, get your camera (video or still) and start making a photographic inventory of all your belongings. Don't forget to photograph jewelry and electronics and don't forget the things you will put in permanent storage. Open cupboards and closets and document everything because I'm here to tell you that during your move from post to post, you will probably lose something. When I left Texas for Washington, I wasn't aware that the movers should have taken the boxes from my house and put them in large wooden containers on the truck and then put a metal strap around them so they were secure with me watching. The movers just kept wheeling boxes out and putting them in a big truck. BIG mistake! Before the movers arrive at your home to do your pack out, you should make sure they will be securing your belongings in the large wooden crates on site. When I got to Honduras, I was missing a ton of things. My claim to Clements Insurance was almost $4000. And that's only the things I realized I was missing. Months later I would think of something else. During your training in DC you will probably be told to take responsibility for this sort of thing. Take their advice to heart. If you can have help at your house during pack out, try to make sure the boxes are marked which room they came from, not just "linens" or "misc. items" like mine were. It will make it easier for you to direct the workers to the appropriate room once they arrive. I pre-packed some things (we are told not to but I had them look in the boxes to make sure I wasn't transporting anything illegal) in clear plastic containers and taped them shut. If possible, be at the curb when the truck arrives at your new home so you can watch then cut the metal strap from the containers. I didn't even know they were at my house until they rang my doorbell. There were about 9 or 10 men, all with a box in their hand. I'm missing a box of kitchen items...sauce pans, frying pans, my good knives, dish drainer, my 2 favorite pasta bowls...and who knows what else. I'm also missing a ceramic casserole that was in my dining room hutch. I know the crates were sealed in Honduras so how does someone just take a box and put it in their car without others seeing it? I had 117 boxes brought in and they are all accounted for and opened by me. All the empty boxes are outside so I guess I will wait for some cooler time (oh sure...in Oman?) and make sure I didn't take an unopened box out, thinking it was trash. Highly unlikely, but I will do it before I turn in a claim. You can understand why I think this is the best advice I can give anyone new to this career.

Speaking of claims, without a doubt, you need to take out insurance on your personal effects. I have mine with Clements International and they didn't quibble one bit when I turned in my claim. They didn't demand receipts or anything. I also have my car insured by them (while in a foreign country only), which means I get a discount on the personal policy. Bottom line...if something happens to your things in transit, State is not responsible. Get the insurance! One small reminder...when you come back to the states for R&R make sure you have some kind of insurance. Pay for a rental car with your credit card only after you make sure you have basic coverage on the car.

I love my career. Moving every 2 years has many benefits. You may acquire lots of things as you travel the world but you get to purge yourself of many unnecessary items every 2-3 years when you go to your next assignment. Find a charitable organization near where you live and give them what you can. You will never again be possessed by your possessions!

At the beginning of this post is a picture of my very large kitchen, empty, before any of my stuff arrived. Below is a picture of what the kitchen looked like during the unpacking. Check back with me in a couple of weeks when all my other things arrive from Texas and hopefully, you will see a very nicely decorated kitchen...look for lots of red!

Muscat, Oman...A Real Gem!

I've now been in Muscat, Oman for almost 3 weeks. Muscat is a beautiful city. The scenery is spectacular, with the white buildings with gorgeous architecture and the dark mountains in the background. You turn around and you see the Gulf of Oman. The other day we went walking on the beach and there are so many shells, you have to watch where you walk! I already have a huge collection of Omani shells. I love walking on the beach looking for shells, so I guess for the next 2 years, I'll have to try to control myself when it comes to which shells I want to take home with me.

Right now it's the hottest time of the year, so I'm told. When you walk out of a building, your skin goes through condensation! It takes about 5 minutes for your body to adjust to the heat but during that 5 minutes, all your exposed skin becomes moist from condensation...sort of like the outside of your glass of ice water but not like sweat. Very strange! In a little over a month it will begin to cool off and for about 5 months, the weather will be perfect. Until then, I am learning to love cool, sheer fabrics and good air conditioning!

I still don't have internet at home and I am anxiously awaiting the shipment of all my worldly possessions from Honduras. I am living in a beautiful home but it's so sterile, so plain and so not me. I need color. I need my 'stuph' surrounding me to feel at home. Bare walls are not pretty. When I arrived in Honduras, both the front and back yards were just grass. I transformed them into a tropical paradise. Fortunately, the same thing exists here. There are plants around the house but the back yard is a fairly large patch of grass. There are also flower beds surrounding the patio that are just about empty (or will be soon). Another gardening project!! It's too hot now, but in a month or so when it cools off, I will begin to cut down on grass and add flower beds for plants that will attract birds and give me some color. A birdbath will look good too. As soon as I get internet at home, I'll add some 'before' pictures to this post. I can't wait to get started!


The State Department tries to be fair in where the Foreign Service people are assigned. If you get assigned to a great place, like Paris or Madrid, you can pretty much figure you're going to get a hardship assignment next. They try to alternate cool place/not so cool place. I think I've been fortunate to have gotten 2 great assignments in a row!


More later...stay tuned for pictures!!

Counting Down The Hours

In less than 24 hours, I'll be on the first leg of my flight to Muscat, Oman. Tomorrow I have a flight from Washington to Zurich, about 8 hours. I will spend the night in Zurich and then fly on to Dubai, another 8 hours, where I have a layover of about 90 minutes. Then it's back on a plane for about an hour for the final leg, arriving at Muscat around 10:35 PM on July 21st. It's lots of travel in 3 days and hopefully I won't be too wiped out by jet lag when I get to Zurich. I'd like some time there to wander around and take some pictures. If I can get some sleep from DC to Zurich, I should be able to handle being awake for the rest of the day. I hope taking 2 Benedryl before the flight will make me drowsy enough to fall asleep for at least some of the flight. I really wish I had gotten an Ambien from someone!

For my one night in Zurich, I made a reservation at the Swissotel Zurich. It looks great online so I hope it turns out to be in a good location...sorta close to the airport but far enough away to be quaint and have lots of photo ops.

While I've been in the states, I think I've managed to eat at all my favorite places, shop at all my favorite places and have seen all my favorite people. It will be at least a year before any scheduled return here because the flight is pretty pricey. I plan on traveling to regional areas from Oman...Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt...so many opportunities. And I'm told the flights are very reasonable. I hope I've been told right!

My next entry will be after I get internet in Oman and I'm told it takes a couple of weeks. Believe me, it will be at the top of my To Do list!

Home Leave, Phase 3 - Washington DC

Home Leave morphed in to Training/Consultations with my arrival in Washington DC on June 28th. With 2 suitcases that weight right at 48 pounds, I really need to keep a safe distance from places where I can buy anything! The fee charged by the airlines for overweight bags is not something I am reimbursed for by my boss! I've already mailed several boxes ahead to Oman, anticipating that I would exceed the 50 lb limit so my shopping days are over. Well....Maybe. Next week my training begins and on July 19th I fly off to Oman. I think I'm at the point where I wish it were tomorrow! I'm ready to get back to work...before I forget all my passwords!!

Yesterday was the 4th of July and what a great day it was! I went to the Washington Nationals vs. the NY Mets baseball game (Nationals lost...booo) and then watched the fireworks over the National Mall from the grassy area in front of the memorial for those who fought at Iwo

Jima. What a gorgeous memorial...the largest bronze statue in the world.

The fireworks were magnificent and everyone loved them. I couldn't help thinking about those who fought for our freedoms many many years ago, as well as those who continue trying to preserve those same freedoms for us today. If you have never been to Washington DC and seen the many memorials, I recommend you make a huge effort to come here. It really makes you stop and think about how strong the desire to be free was/is and what huge efforts were made when this country was in its infancy.

July 4th is not just another paid holiday off work. It should be a day when we all think about what a great country the United States of America is and will be for many years to come. In my mind, the important thing is to be involved. Get to know who you are voting for, even in your local elections. Remember, it's those people who go on to be President. Once you live outside this great country, you really come to realize how good it is. Sure there are things I would like to see changed but, in spite of everything, it's still the best place in the world to live.

Home Leave In Pictures

Sometimes you just can't adequately express how things are in words. It takes pictures. So, here are some pictures of my Home Leave so far. Hawaii...Grandchildren, gorgeous flowers and beautiful scenery. Fort Worth...my 95 year old father.

Micah is in his swimming pool, showing me his form on a boogie board and Makana is just looking all innocent. He's so cute...

Below is me with the beautiful NaPali coast of Kauai in the background. More pictures of our

day long catamaran trip, cruising up and down the coast of Kauai. It was wonderful...I highly recommend Capt. Jack's NaPali cruises. Great drinks, great food and a very entertaining crew. And of course, some breathtaking scenery.

We saw dolphins making an attempt to play around the front of the boat,

never quite figuring out which was the front and back of it. We saw gorgeous light shining on the cathedral-like peaks of the coastline. It was just a wonderful 6 hours on the water.

My son Bobby and his son Gavin enjoying the cruise.

And lastly, my wonderful Dad in Fort Worth, Texas. Last night he was all smiles as TCU won their game against UCLA. As I write this, UCLA is way ahead of TCU but we'll see how it ends. I sure hope TCU wins.

Home Leave, Phase 2, Texas Style

It's been a little over 2 weeks since I left Hawaii and arrived in Fort Worth. It's been great seeing my Dad again, as well as many other friends. Some of my friends include Mr. Macy, Mr. Hobby Lobby, Ms. Coldwater Creek and others, who had no trouble communicating with my credit card! Today the movers packed up all my purchases and they are on the way to Oman. Now the hard part will be to not buy anything else since my suitcases are already at about 47 pounds each and can't go over 50 or else it will cost me! I guess there's always the postal service. Monday my car will be picked up and sent onward also. In about 2 months, I might see everything again!

Since I've been here in Fort Worth, I've made a point of hitting all my favorite foodie places (BBQ, burger, steak, ice cream) and should be OK for another year. There's an artichoke in the fridge waiting for me to cook it, which I think I will do for lunch tomorrow. Yummm....I wonder if there are artichokes in Oman?

Monday, June 28th I fly to Washington DC. I will be attending some training there as well as meeting up with some new friends, a very old friend and having a face to face meeting with some of the people in DS who, for the past 2 years, I've been in contact with from Honduras. I also plan on meeting the corresponding desk officer for Oman. And I'll do my best to not wander in to anyplace where I can spend money!

Tomorrow is my birthday and it's nice to be home with my Dad to celebrate it. It won't happen again for a while. Dad is 95 and I swear, he hasn't aged a day since I left for Honduras in March of 2008....he's ageless! While I was in Honduras, I was able to make a few flights home to Texas at a reasonable cost. However, the same won't be true when I'm in Oman. A flight home will be way out of my budget so the next time I'll be here will be in a year or so.

I really miss everyone in Honduras. I knew I would and many of them are on Facebook so staying in touch will be easy. I still miss them. It was a really good first post and I learned so much from so many. I can't wait to get to Oman and start learning much more.

Looking Back...Looking Forward

My time in Honduras is now a thing of the past. It'sa good past, full of wonderful memories, lessons learned and so many people I'm glad to call my friends. I wouldn't trade my 2 years in Tegucigalpa for anything. As a 'first post' I couldn't have asked for anything more. Under the guidance of my great boss, Ted, I learned so much about security in an embassy. Whether he knows it or not, I learned much more from him, things you just don't learn in a book or from a class at FSI. I will miss his leadership and can only hope he is an example of what most RSOs are like. The difficulties we faced in Honduras were many but in dealing with each one, Ted went about it with confidence, calm and the knowledge that he was doing the right thing. I'll miss you Ted, and feel so fortunate to have worked with you.

Right now, I'm in Phase 1 of my Home Leave. As I sit here, I can hear the ocean and smell the salty breezes. The island of Kauai is indeed a bit of Paradise. My son lives here and visiting with him, Nicole, his wife, and my amazing 3 grandsons, Gavin and the twins, Micah and Makana, makes for the perfect Rest and Relaxation. Yesterday was Gavin's first day of preschool. He loved it and was looking forward to returning today. I stayed with Micah and Makana yesterday while my son and Nicole worked and we had a great time. I now know who Thomas, Percy and Emily are but can't figure out why the boys fight over who gets Percy. For those of you with no exposure to Thomas the Train, this will mean nothing to you, as it did to me before coming here. My son bought a huge box of miscellaneous cars, engines and tracks on Ebay and the boys sit and build tracks for hours on end. At just 2 years old, this is huge! I wonder what they did before to occupy their time? For more pictures of my stay on Kauai, go to my Facebook page.

Phase 2 begins Monday when I fly to Fort Worth, Texas for 3 weeks. My father lives there and I will spend lots of time with him. I'll also see many of my friends and catch up on what's been going on with them for the past 2 years. I'll also spend some times with other good friends, like Mr. Macy, Mr. Dillard's and Mr. Williams Sonoma! I'll be buying another car to ship to Oman and clothes for some very hot weather. And I already have a list of the places I want to eat...I can't wait for a good Mexican meal!

Phase 3 starts with my flight to Washington DC on June 28th. While there, I will take some classes in SharePoint and Excel. I'll meet with some of the people in Diplomatic Security that I may speak with while I'm in Oman, as well as some of the Directors for Western Hemisphere who I have dealt with over the past 2 years. Just putting a face on the name will be a good thing. I'll also be in DC for the July 4th celebration, which should be lots of fun.

Finally, on July 18th, I fly out of JFK headed for Muscat, Oman. The first stop is in Zurich, Switzerland where I will spend the night and most of the next day. I hope I have time to wander around and see something pretty enough to photograph. Then I fly into Dubai, which should be a sight to see with all the unusual buildings and man-made islands. After a 2 hour layover, I fly to Oman, landing at 10:45 PM, when it will most likely be 100 degrees. Being the eternal optimist that I am, I can only hope that over the next 2 years, I will be able to sweat off a few pounds!

So, farewell to a wonderful stay in Honduras and looking forward to an amazing 2 years in Oman. What a life!