Routine change

When you commit to a mobile life, you are also committing yourself to flexibility. For the past five years my routine has been the same, and although I am comforted by routines, I have chosen to join the foreign service because I am looking for new experiences. Every two years we will move to a new house; every two years we will have to acclimate to a new neighborhood and an entirely different culture. And every two years we will gain knowledge we would have remained ignorant of had we lived out our lives in Florida.

For someone who likes routines, change, even change you seek, can be disconcerting. However, in the last few days I find myself settling into a new routine. It's true that many of the small things have changed--and this time we've only moved to another state--but the important things stay constant, and there are bonuses.

The things I miss the most so far are: my backyard, commercial free TV through the DVR, snow free landscaping, my family, and my kitchen.

Things I've gained: weekly maid service, romping in the snow with Julie, time, Trader Joe's, Brian's family (they're local), and new friends.

Tomorrow we receive the bid list--a list of job openings in cities around the world, and we have a week to prioritize our preferences and return the list to our Foreign Service career development officer. Tomorrow we'll know where we might be living for two years, and we'll receive our post assignment on March 12th. However, I can be sure that wherever we go, our lives will be filled with routine change.

 

The view from our window

To view a video of Julie and Grace playing in the snow at a local dog park, please click here.