Tag: state department

A Weekend in Bogota

When Misha was provided the opportunity to go to Bogota for a four-day training on atrocity prevention, we jumped at the chance to bundle it with some tourist activity.  We flew down on a Friday in April, and I returned on Monday.  Misha stayed for her training, which included one big tourist attraction outside of the city that I missed out on.  Bogota is the third largest city in South America by population, home to over 8 million people.  It’s also very high up in the mountains of Colombia, with an altitude of over 8600 feet. 

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Lake Atitlan, Take One

In early December, Misha and I finally made our first visit to Lake Atitlan.  It's one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country and routinely ranked among the world's most beautiful lakes.  Lago de Atitlan is less than 50 miles from the capital as the crow flies but can take over 4 hours to reach by car due to a combination of traffic and winding, twisting country roads.  It sits in the shadow of three volcanoes and was formed by a supervolcanic eruption some 84,000 years ago.  Eleven little towns, each with their own distinct characteristics, dot the shores of the lake, three of which Misha and I visited on this trip. 

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Third Stop: Hanoi, Vietnam

This news is a coming a bit late but based on the number of variables and the confusing nature of bidding at this stage of Misha’s career, I wanted to make sure I didn’t report news that would require a retraction later on down the line.  With that in mind, I am happy to announce... Continue Reading →

Autumn in the Land of Eternal Spring

After roughly six months of silence, I’m finally back with an update.  Between work, two nights dedicated to Spanish lessons, three nights booked for basketball, boxing, and tennis, and being the only one with the will or ability to cook real dinners in the house (sorry Misha), I’ve been finding it difficult to allocate time to write.  Luckily, the December slowdown and a few well-placed days off has allowed me some time to not only get a few posts written, but to actually do a few things worth writing about.

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Arlington Interlude

After what feels like only two shakes of a lambs' tail (to quote Mia Wallace), our time in the DC area is quickly coming to an end. While we don't depart for Guatemala until mid-October, we are already planning our exit from Virginia.

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Last Days in Israel

With our time in Israel now over, we're back stateside in between tours. Misha jumped immediately into Spanish before even getting over her jet lag, while I've taken the time to relax (because I just worked so hard before, right Misha?). The departure process included selling my car, sorting through our belongings (see below), getting... Continue Reading →

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Belgian Holiday

After our first attempt to visit Belgium was nixed back in August, Misha and I regrouped for a second attempt during the Christmas season. I can't believe I'm saying this after only two years away from Massachusetts, but the trip actually made me miss winter weather....It wasn't all a nostalgic return to holiday cheer, though. As a matter of fact, it started as poorly as an international trip can start.

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Dom’s Second Job: OMS

Last fall, I wrote a blog about my first job as a family member in the State Department.  I described some of my duties as ESTH Assistant and a bit about our work.  I also described my official role of Roving Administrative Assistant and how this role involves being plugged into different openings around the embassy as needed.  I held the ESTH position while someone waited for a security clearance, so once that clearance came through I was freed up for another role.  Cue my second assignment: Office Management Specialist (OMS).

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Next Stop: Guatemala City

I doubt many people out there read these posts without also following one of our social media accounts, but if you are one of those people, sorry for keeping you in suspense. We found out only two weeks after submitting our bid list that our second destination with the State Department will be Guatemala City, which just so happened to be our top choice.

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