My Pasttime...

Now that I've retired I can (hopefully) begin selling some of the over 400 necklaces I've made over the past 4 years while living in Oman and Pakistan. I've had a website showing them and you can order something from there. The site is www.designsbyyaya.blogspot.com.  I also have an Etsy shop but it is "on vacation" right now. That site is www.etsy.com/shop/NimbleFingersBeads.   Check there for designs soon.

Payment is very easy with PayPal.

My prices are very reasonable and some of the beads I use in my designs were picked up during my travels abroad.  Thanks!  If you have a favorite gemstone, let me know and I can design an original just for you!

Retirement...I have arrived!

I am in a happy place.  It's called Retirement and even thinking about it puts a smile on my face.

I touched down in Washington DC on June 23, after spending a wonderful 2 days on the island of Santorini.  Two days was just perfect to spend time unwinding from a stressful final 2 weeks in Karachi, where I prayed every night that I would be able to leave on time.  The Taliban attacked the airport there 2 times and I was really afraid that it would happen again.  I worried during the speedy trip to the airport.  I worried while I sat for 2 hours in the airport.  I worried when the plane was taking off.  I quit worrying when I landed in Athens.  I no longer worry.

While in Washington, I had to go through an extensive medical check up.  I want to be added to the list of people interested in being contacted for temporary duty (TDY) assignments, so I had to update my medical clearance.  After being prodded and stuck with needles and my departure date from DC looming, I said I would complete all the appointments when I arrived in Fort Worth.  Tomorrow is my final appointment and I'll get a very thorough 'clean bill of health.'  It's nice to know that at age 65, all systems are go!

I'm gradually getting settled in my new home.  So far, I've received 3 of the 4 shipments, one being my car that was in storage for 2 years.  There was some damage to the outside of the car, probably done when it was shipped out of Muscat, Oman, but my insurance will cover that.  Apparently it wasn't tied down well and there are scratches all across the very front of the roof and a dent the size of my fist which is rusted.  Once repaired, it will be fine.  A word to the wise...while serving overseas, get Clements Insurance and don't drop it until all your things arrive in good shape!

The last shipment should be here this week.  That shipment includes the items I was using in Karachi.  What I have now are things I haven't seen in either 4 years or 2 years.  Lots of clothes have been taken to Goodwill!  Fortunately lots of them still fit me, but I really look forward to getting this shipment.  It includes the Rosewood bedroom furniture I had made in Karachi.  And since I am sleeping on my mattress on the floor in my bedroom, I am anxious to receive this shipment.  My Keurig coffee maker, my Kitchenaid mixer, the rest of my rugs and so much more are in that shipment.  Then I can get all the clothes put away and really get my house in order!

A couple of home improvement projects will keep me busy for a while.  I want to take out a sliding glass door leading to the back yard and put a french door in instead.  I also want to do a bit of remodeling on my bathroom.  Projects are good things.

I still am not used to the fact that I don't have to go to work.  Every day is now Saturday for me.  I still have lots to do on my house but when that's all done, will I be bored?  I don't think so.  I want to start selling on eBay again and have a few friends who want me to sell their stuff.  I want to find a good way to market my jewelry as I have over 400 necklaces ready to sell.  I've had a website where I have photos of them but so far, not tried to really sell them.  That website is www.designsbyyaya.blogspot.com in case you're curious.  I also have over 10,000 photographs from my travels around the world that I would love to somehow earn a few dollars on.  I have another website with some of those and it's www.debidemetrion.blogspot.com.  I'm not sure if I want to market my photos somehow or get in some sort of business of taking pictures.  Lots to think about.

But right now, I need to think about getting dressed and starting the day!

Into the Teens...

I've never been one to 'wish my life away' but lately, I've been counting the days down to wheels up on June 19th, my last day to serve in the Foreign Service.  For the past 6 years, I've served in Honduras, Oman and Pakistan and my days as a Diplomat are rapidly coming to an end.  I am now 19 days to the end of one chapter and into another...the status of Rowdy Retiree.  

My first job was when I was 15 years old.  I got a job at our local department store in Coronado, California where I grew up.  I worked as one of the 2 gift wrappers during the Christmas holidays.  When I got my first paycheck, I went around the store spending the entire check on Christmas gifts for my mother.  The owner, who knew my mother, was so, well, upset, that he called her.  "Fae," he said, "Debi just spent her entire paycheck on Christmas presents for you!"  I guess he thought that maybe I wasn't being very fiscally responsible.  Of course my mother was crushed that I didn't keep any of the money for myself.  I did what I wanted to do and my gift was seeing her happy with what I bought for her.  Since then, I've worked nearly all my life except for 5 years when I had my kids and stayed home with them until they were both in school.  It's time for a change.

I'm really excited about returning home to Fort Worth.  I can't wait to get settled in my new house and knowing I won't have to pack up again in 2 years is a big plus.  I see lots of trips to the nursery in my future, buying plants for my back yard. I want perennials and a vegetable garden and a patio and a cover for it and...so much to do!  

With all my travels, I've bought lots of things...artwork, rugs, furniture.  I hope I have enough room for everything.  I've also framed several of my photographs from my trips.  And as for my rugs...I'll be changing out rugs with the seasons!  

So tomorrow I will say 18 more days.  Then 17, then 16...and before I know it, I'll be zipping up my suitcases the night of June 19th.  Saying goodbye to this job will be hard, but welcoming a completely new lifestyle will be easy.

Countdown to Wheels Up

34 days and counting.  Things are falling into place and when June 20 rolls around, I'll be out of here.  As a gift to myself, I'm taking a side trip to the Greek island of Santorini for 3 days, then onward to the good old U.S.A.  This trip through a mine field called Retirement from the Department of State has been a challenge every step of the way.  As frustrated as I have gotten many times, I think things will work out.

One of the biggest things was to make sure I was financially ready to retire. We all hope and pray that when that time comes we'd be ready.  With the State Department, once you reach the age of 65, you are out.  Mandatory retirement. For the past 6 years, I've dreaded June 30, 2014, the last day I would work as a Foreign Service Diplomat.  But as time went by, I began to embrace the idea.  I will miss the travel, living overseas and meeting wonderful people and of course, the bi-weekly paycheck!  But I think I'm ready to enter the next chapter of my life as a Rowdy Retiree.  So many of my retired friends have said that they are busier in retirement than they were when they were working.

The whole time I've been at this job, I'm managed to max out my contribution to the government's version of a 401(k), called the Thrift Savings Plan.  It is really a very generous plan, envied by many.  If you aren't contributing the maximum amount, you are really missing out.  That's true with any company sponsored 401(k).  I've also been contributing to the catch up part as well as putting a fixed amount into my personal Roth IRA.  If all this sounds like a foreign language to you, I suggest you begin educating yourself on financial planning.  Your retirement will be here before you know it.  There are plenty of websites that can inform you about IRAs and saving.  My favorite is Fidelity's site, https://www.fidelity.com/retirement-planning/learn-about-iras/what-is-an-ira.  This site will explain, in very simple terms, about IRAs.  Take the time to meet with a reputable financial planner so that your pathway to retirement gets started out on the right foot.  The sooner you start, the better.  I wish I had started years ago!

I went home to Fort Worth, Texas the first 2 weeks in May.  My goal was to find and buy a house while I was there.  Fortunately I was able to do this and am now a homeowner once again.   I am very lucky to have such a good friend that I could entrust with any and all details following the purchase of my house since I had to return to Pakistan.  Delta may not have known what she was agreeing to when she said she would help out.  But she's been wonderful!  I had  a power of attorney drawn and she was there for the closing on my house, signing my life away!  She has had to deal with selling the stove, getting the plumbing inspected and finding someone to mow my yard! These are times when you appreciate good friends, and she is one of the best.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying my final 34 days in Karachi, Pakistan. I know that sounds crazy, but I really have enjoyed my time here.  Two years in Pakistan is a long time and not for everyone, but for me, it made it possible to put a large down payment on my house, making my mortgage very affordable. Danger pay will help do that.  

I've had many 'firsts' during the last 6 years.  Recently, the consulate held a Family Day for the local staff.  I held a snake for the first time.  

And the last time.

Winding Down

As expected, I have mixed emotions about leaving the Foreign Service. As the days and weeks go by and I approach my June 20 departure date from Karachi, I've reflected on the good times I've had and how those memories will be with me forever.  I'll miss so much of this lifestyle when I make my transition to retired person.  But I'm also excited about returning to Texas and now that I finally heard that I am a homeowner once again, I am thinking about what all I will now have time to do in that house to put my stamp on it.  I know all my carpets will look beautiful on the floors.  I was lucky to find a house with no/no wall to wall carpet, so I won't have to rip anything up!

 

These past 6 years have been so good; I don’t even know where to start listing what I’ll miss when I return to a normal life.  Probably the biggest thing I’ll miss is working with the local staff at the posts…Tegucigalpa, Muscat and Lahore.  Unless you are exposed to other cultures and people in other countries, you can’t appreciate how much I will miss this part of my job.  Living in America, we tend to believe that our way is the best way, the only way and any other ‘way’ is unacceptable.  This is totally not the case. I've learned so much from the Hondurans, Omanis and Pakistanis.  Not only do you learn that there’s more than one way to do something, depending on your circumstances, what supplies you have to work with and the skills you have to get the job done, you also learn that that your way may not be the best for all.  And the way of doing business around the world is amazing.  When I was in Oman as well as here in Pakistan, I would look at carpets…gorgeous, expensive hand knotted carpets.  There would be 30 carpets unrolled in front of me and the shop keeper would say…”Take some home with you and see how you like them.”  Hey, we’re talking over $1000 per carpet and this man is telling me to just take a few home.  “Pay me later”, he says…”or bring them back.  It’s OK.”  Of course, they knew that once you got it home, you’d fall in love with it even more and the carpet would never be returned.  You would go back the next day or week with cash in hand, thanking him profusely for letting you take them home to see just how you liked them.  Can you see Macy’s doing that?  Heck no.  There’s also a place in Islamabad who would sell items and, knowing we were diplomats and would be leaving in a year or 2, would buy back the items you had bought (less a small percentage) when you moved on if you decided you didn't want to keep them.  It’s kind of like a rental service for local items without having to keep them forever if you don’t want to.  This helps you avoid the problem of accumulating a ton of things at each post around the world.  After a 20 year career, I can imagine a home looking like a museum!

What will I not miss?  That list deals mostly with the quality of life.  It will be nice to be able to drink the water from the tap again.  I will love being in the same time zone as friends.  Being able to pick up the phone and call my doctor, insurance company, or whoever it might be that I have a problem with instead of waiting a week for emails to bounce back and forth.  And I will not miss being chauffeured around!  I can’t wait to get my car back!  And I won't have to soak my vegetables in bleach water.  

There’s another thing that I’ll have to deal with when I return home.  I've had the greatest opportunity to travel the world and see things that most people never get the chance to see…and experience things that others will never experience.  I’ll have to be very careful to not go on and on about my travels and experiences when with friends.  I have photo books with photos I've taken that I’ll leave out and if people ask, I will be happy to talk about my travels.  I may need to find an outlet for my love of places I've been…maybe the library or schools that sponsor things like this where I can share my experiences.  As much as I want to share where I've been and what I've seen, I don’t want to bore my friends.  I can see their eyes rolling and them thinking…’here she goes again.’

I can’t wait for what’s in store for me…

Carpets and rugs...Rugs and carpets

Many of my friends have asked me about the carpets/rugs I've acquired over the 4 years I've served in the Middle East.  I decided it would be a good thing to build another blog with pictures of them and a bit of information on each one.  This serves 2 purposes.  One, it is a great way for me to share my love of these things and it's also a great way to catalog them so I never forget the information about them.  I've also tried to share knowledge on hand knotted rugs/carpets, writing a bit about each one.  And you can read when it's a rug and when it's a carpet there too along with other bits of information about this wonderful craft.

I will be flying home tonight (3/31) for my final R&R and my time will be consumed with looking for and buying a home to move into when I return to Fort Worth as a retiree July 1, 2014.  Having little to no carpets in the house is at the top of the list.  My 27 rugs/carpets will look beautiful on the floors!

You can find my blog, Irresistible Temptations, here...www.couldnotsayno.blogspot.com. Once I upload all of my carpets, I'll add other things I just couldn't leave behind! 

Preparing for Re-entry

Much of my time lately has been spent thinking about how my life will change after I retire from the Foreign Service.  I start out thinking about what I will miss once I no longer have the opportunity to travel around the world…and what I won’t miss.  Then I think about things I will once again enjoy once I’m back in Texas, as well as the things I will once again have to pay for.  Then I’ll start looking through all my notes and emails I’ve printed out (sorry trees) and wonder just what will slip through the cracks and not get done in time.  The list of names of people I’ve been referred to for answers in Washington is long and through persistence and plain old stubbornness, I have become quite the pest.  At this point, I reach for another glass of wine.

Last week a huge problem was solved.  One of my worries was how I was going to get my car from Washington to Fort Worth, Texas.  It’s been in storage there since April 2012 and because of my status here in Pakistan (Temporary Duty out of DC), I am not entitled to have my car shipped with the hundreds of pounds of household effects that are also in DC in storage.  About 2 weeks ago I began to work on this.  Think of this…the car has been in storage for over 2 years. It has no plates on it as I bought it in Texas and immediately had it shipped to Oman. My Texas driver license will expire before I even arrive in DC.  And at age 65, the thought of driving halfway across the country was giving me major concern.  After explaining my case to my CDO (Career Development Officer) in DC, she gave me the name of a person to send an email to.  I did this.  He asked me to send a copy of my driver’s license…I’m sure this was to make sure I was being totally honest about it being expired.  The next morning when I checked my email, there it was…an email from him saying he would approve shipping my car.  Victory!  It was so nice to check that box and not have to worry about the cost of shipping it.  I'll have enough ‘costs’ as it is when I return without having to worry about shipping costs for my car.  Score one for Debi!

In a week I’ll be home getting ready to go house hunting for my new permanent home. I can’t wait…I've lived the life of world traveler long enough.  Time to settle down…again.  

Earlier this month, we had Family Day at the Consulate. It was a great day.  I did 2 things I've never done before...I held a snake and made cotton candy.  The picture below was the teaser one with the handler holding the snake.  I did finally open my hand and held it...

And the cotton candy, first I've had in years, was real tasty!