At least I can't relate to Office Space

My career was one of the major concerns my husband and I had to work through when we were considering a life in the foreign service. As a clinical social worker my strengths are somewhat portable, but there are still significant challenges. In my last days at work the question, "What are you going to do" came up frequently, and my optimistic answer was: "I can do social work anywhere there are people, as long I speak their language."

Of course, that doesn't address the following concerns: safety, cultural barriers, gender discrimination, transportation, eligibility for a work visa, financial concerns, etc, etc, etc.

I'm jealous of web-based graphic designers.

Fortunately, there is a wealth of resources available for spouses of foreign service officers, most of which can be found at the A Portable Identity website. A Portable Identity was written by two clinical social workers who are married to men whose careers required frequent international relocation. 

At the moment I should be concentrating on tomorrow's pack out, so my long term career goals are going to have to wait. I must trust that I will be able to find or create opportunities for meaningful work wherever we are, and at least I know I'll have support.