Checking In

I wrote last week, having just returned from visiting Joanna and Matt and meeting Alexis Crossett for the first time. I was so enamored with my new niece that I overlooked what I'd been thinking about writing about--looking back on 2012 and thinking ahead to the coming year.

As I think back to last year, it's hard for me to believe how much I've had the chance to do! I've visited Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico and Spain (quick trip) and went to Dad and Tammy's wedding in April. I got to visit the world famous lightening in Catatumbo not once, but twice, and and I got to revisit one of the most beautiful places on earth, Los Roques with some amazing friends. I really enjoyed the proximity to all kinds of new places to visit.

I witnessed two countries' elections pretty close together and have thought about the reasons for the differences between them. I witnessed a lot of the best of Venezuela--the most beautiful places, some of the most intelligent, caring, and passionate people that I've met. Unlike many of my Foreign Service colleagues, I'm not someone who thinks about (or understands a lot of) politics that much. I was lucky to be born in a country where things work well, where there are lots of opportunities and little poverty, little crime compared to the rest of the world. Watching Venezuela's process through my friends' and colleagues' perspectives has been challenging, as I realize I don't know what I'd do to change things if I were in their shoes. (read the latest here).

Fiji also has elections scheduled for 2014, and I'll be interested to contrast that experience with what I've seen in Venezuela. I have been going back and forth between stocking up on summer shoes and clothes and trying to to buy anything more, as I feel I have enough for Fiji. I get to take a shipment of consumables (recommended items include toilet paper, any kind of paper goods, coffee, sunscreen, bug spray, etc.). It's also recommended to bring all sporting goods and shoes you expect to need, as good quality and prices are not readily available. Since I sold my TV and most electronics in Venezuela, I've been gradually replacing them. I need to find items with dual voltage plugs, as the voltage is different there than here. I'm waiting to buy a new car once I get there, since cars are driven on the left side of the street and the steering wheels are on the right side of the car.

Though I've been relying on Alex's pictures for the last year or so and haven't really taken any of my own, I broke down and decided to buy a camera. I would have loved to have one when I was visiting El Paso, and as Alex's focus is on artistic shots, I don't always the get cheesy shots I want to remember fun trips. I got a pretty simple point and shoot one, but it seems like it'll be just what I want size- and capability- wise.

The State Department recently posted a video on their careers page of the website giving an overview of the job(s) of a foreign service officer. I really enjoyed seeing it and it was a great reminder to me of why I took this job. Language training doesn't happen to be my favorite part of it, but it's a necessary part of it, and it's a pretty cool perk. The video also shows a pretty accurate glimpse into the work my colleagues and I do around the world.

Canon PowerShot A2300 16MP 5X Optical Zoom Black Digital Camera (Google Affiliate Ad)

Welcome 2013

Welcome 2013! I'm back at home after a great trip to El Paso from Christmas through New Year's to visit Joanna and Matt and meet Alexis Jean Crossett! It was really nice to see Joanna and Matt, and to meet my precious new niece Alexis. It was also really great to have a break from studying and a change of pace for a few days. I had a blast holding Alexis, changing her diapers, helping bathe her, watching her sleep, waking her up to eat, and going to a doctor appointment with her and Joanna.

I took way too many pictures of her, but I couldn't help myself. Here are a couple of her after her third bath wearing the robe Alex and I bought for her at FAO Schwartz in New York after Thanksgiving. He couldn't believe this was it, since she looks so tiny in it, and it looked pretty tiny itself. She is a precious little girl, and I can't wait to visit again this summer. It was so hard to leave on New Year's!

It was only a 3-day week coming back, but it was long enough for me! I jumped right back into Hindi the day after returning. I also had a doctor appointment to follow up on food intolerances. I'm getting a blood test from ALCAT to determine what foods are producing an immunological response when I eat them. Despite some improvement, I've been continuing to deal with a great deal of fatigue as well as some indigestion and some headaches. In a few days I'll have a list of foods that I have severe, moderate, milde, and no reactions to, and I hope to find some improvement with this.

I've also turned some attention to start planning my home leave trip this summer before leaving for Fiji. It's hard to believe I'm about half-way done with my Hindi course. In late May Alex will come back for a final visit here, and we'll do some fun traveling, hopefully to some places where he'll get some amazing pictures, and also to visit Joanna et. al. and Dad and Tammy. We're currently trying to plan the details of the trip, which is fun and challenging at the same time. We definitely want to hit the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, LA, and we're seeing what else we can do.

Dad and Tammy are at Joanna and Matt's house this week--so hopefully I'll get to see some more pictures and videos of Alexis soon! ;)