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Instead of using bullet points again, I found another way to deal with lists, and everyone loves lists. It's a great way writers to keep the attention of the easily distracted American. So this is the EF'M take on the good, the bad and the ugly.THE EXCELLENTFor the first time since we've been married, Natalie and I are debt free! There will be dancing in the streets of Crystal City! College loans were paid off last year, and our final car payment will be paid off as soon as it goes through.
Which brings up an another interesting tidbit gathered from Free Studies Inside (FSI) course from last week about moving. For those of you still paying off car loans and who will be leaving the country soon for post with your car, you ought to check with your bank to make sure you are allowed to take the car with you. Apparently, many banks have rules against this because it is expensive to send the repo man to another country.THE FOUL(Mom, if you're reading, skip to the next topic.) There has been a lot of bad news about crime and drugs in the northern part of Mexico culminating in a State Department Travel Alert.
Here is one little pearl from that posting: "Large firefights have taken place in towns and cities across Mexico, but occur mostly in northern Mexico, including Ciudad Juarez [as I say, you can't pronounce Juarez without "War"], Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Nogales, Matamoros, Reynosa and Monterrey."
I should be troubled by the inclusion of Nogales, because that is where we are going to be crossing the border, but for whatever reason, I'm not terribly concerned by the travel alert. I suppose part of it might be the little bit of denial that lingers in the back of my mind that this is all actually going to happen soon. Still doesn't seem real.
I suppose I'm also not too worried because Hermosillo did not appear on the list. I know there will be some dangers living in Mexico, but then again, there are some dangers living in Washington, D.C., as well. Just have to be smart. (Safe to read again, Mom.)THE MONSTROUSThe timing of this massive earthquake couldn't have been worse for the Chilean people.
I'm guessing many Americans don't have the budget to dip into their pockets a second time to help relieve another natural disaster abroad, but here is hoping they can. Not to take anything away from the work our diplomatic corps does, but I have to imagine we do our best diplomacy in the form of American charity to other countries following such disasters.
In terms of American contributions to the Chilean people, I'm going to predict that coupled with the fact that Americans already gave so much to Haiti, other factors including that fewer Americans appeared to have been harmed/killed (I don't have any stats on this) in the earthquake and that Chile was better prepared for such an event will result in less media coverage and less donations.
Still, if you can, please offer what you can to another suffering people. The State Department has been directing people to the Global Disaster Relief facebook site, but Doctors Without Borders also is always another good not-for-profit to send funds after these kinds of disasters.
Late last week, like Thursday or Friday, I realized that this past weekend was my last weekend for the foreseeable future. When I leave the office this Friday, it will be the last time I'll be in an office for at least 2.5 years.
To mark the occasion, coincidentally, we added our first check to our D.C. bucket list. This is our list of things to do and see before leaving the area, and visiting Monticello was on this list even before Natalie joined the foreign service.
I'm a history lover and a big fan of Mount Vernon, so I had to see the other great plantation in our area, a 2.5 hour drive, give or take. (I suppose the final great presidential residence other than the White House would be the Hermitage. If anyone has any insights as to whether this is a worthwhile visit, I'm all ears.)
(Another note, this posting also serves the purpose of adding some new pictures to the blog; Natalie has been complaining it has been too grey as of late. This is the famous west front of Monticello, which is on the back of the nickel.)
So here is my take on the two Revolutionary American meccas.
The Mount Vernon grounds, at least, what is open to the public, are much more expansive and complete than Monticello's. Washington's mansion is the focus of the grounds, but you can fill an entire day visiting the other sites including his tomb, docks, farm, gardens and the several remaining buildings and slave quarters still standing. (More notes: it is easy as a modern American to make the mistake of thinking of MV and Monticello as homes when really they are plantations. Washington lived at MV, but so did is more than 100 slaves, so there are several "homes" here, like at Monticello.)
It is no comparison really between the what remains of the other structures at MV vs Monticello, because, quite simply, most of the shops and cottages at Monticello aren't there any more. Not so at MV, which is missing only a few of the original buidings. (Tiffy got to visit Mount Vernon.)
And the icing on the top is that there are several farm animals at MV including cows, sheep and horses (and pigs?, I can't remember) making this destination more appealing to children.
(Natalie with Washington's horse, Nelson, and a period actor.) In contrast, Monticello's mansion is more stunning than MV's. Monticello is set up differently in that your fee ($17 or $25 depending if you visit during peak times or not; $50 for an annual pass) includes the house tour, but you schedule in advance when you went to take the tour, which is great for busy months compared to the first-come-first-served method at MV, which results in waits that exceed two hours easily if you arrive in the spring or summer.
MV is large and ornate, especially for the late 1700s, but Monticello is over the top. The Monticello tour smartly begins at the front door and you are immediately struck by the grand Entrance Hall with artifacts from the Lewis & Clark expedition decorating the room.
(Natalie and me in the Monticello's dome room, the only room you can photograph.) Surprisingly, though, this isn't even the most awe-inspiring room in the house. After working your way through his study and bedroom, which are incredible for historic reasons, the parlor will floor you. And before you have time to recover, your are shuffled into the dining room, which not only is striking for its bright yellow color, but also contains his famous wine dumbwaiters and revolving service wall.
So Mount Vernon vs. Monticello. As of this writing, I'd give a slight edge to Washington's plantation, but with an asterisk - that being I've only seen Monticello in the winter so I didn't get to fully appreciate the gardens there.
Here's an insider tip for visiting MV: Natalie and I went in mid-Decemberish, and the place was deserted. This was great because not only did we not have to wait in hours-long lines to get inside the mansion, but during this slower period, the staff opens the third floor to the house, which is closed during the busier times of the year.
The other trick to this is buying the annual pass. A one-day pass $15, and the annual pass is $25. So our recommendation is going once in the winter when it is empty and you can see the entire mansion at your leisure. Then come back in the spring/summer and skip the mansion and check out the gardens, dock and farm.
Too much going on these days that I'm going to have to bust out some bullet points to cover events. But I'll lead off with some highlights from last night's Fatiguing, Self-Inflicted (FSI) course on the logistics of moving overseas.
First, let me say that I did learn some good pointers about preparing for the movers. Piles, people. From anecdotal evidence, the movers pack everything in site, so you're best off creating piles of things you want packed together. Some examples included the movers packing a family's garbage, which they received with their second shipment*. Another funny story was about a cat getting packed. Fortunately, depending on your perspective, they realized the cat was packed before boxes left the building and were able to get it out**.
*I plan on addressing this more later, but the State Department uses the expressions (and acronyms) unaccompanied baggage (UAB) and household effects (HHE) to denote the two shipments of luggage you receive after arriving at your post. Wouldn't be a lot easier just to call them the first and second shipment? That seems less confusing.
**I like animals, even cats. But cats make terrible pets. Sorry, it's just how it is. If a house cat weighed 90 pounds instead of 9 pounds, it would eat you. Even at 9 pounds, cats spend most of the day thinking if they could fit you in their mouth. As an historical side note to this, cats are last animal that have been domesticated (dogs were the first), so maybe in another 50,000 years, they'll make for better pets.
So while the class had some good stuff, the main pitfall was that it was too general to be applicable. And I noted as much on my evaluation. Maybe start with the general stuff and then break into groups that will have similar pack-out day experiences. For example, the people moving to China will have a different experience - and therefore need different information - than those of us driving to Canada or Mexico. Or maybe create courses called The Logistics of Moving Overseas...in (X Country).
To wrap up, so far I haven't had great FSI experiences, but I'll keep going if for no other reason than to get more material to write about. That's right, I'll keep sacrificing my own time for you, the readers. Now let's tackle some bullets:
• First a shout-out to my local in-laws, and regular EF'M readers, Eric and Mindy, for taking Natalie and me to a Wizards game Monday night. I'm not much into the NBA, but seeing a game in person is an entirely different and more enjoyable experience than watching it on TV. Secondly, as bad as the Wizards have been the past two years, when I attend the game, they've gone something like 5-1. (Wizards, you should treat me to every game, and maybe you'd win more.) We plan on returning the favor by taking Eric and Mindy to a Naranjeros baseball game when they come to Hermosillo (2010 Mexican Pacific League Campeones! That is number 15, baby!)
• A member of our Hermosillo contingent had a baby boy earlier this week, so congratulations are in order.
• You probably won't be getting any weekend updates because Natalie and I are going to Charlottesville, Va., to hit up some wineries and Monticello with another couple. We created a list of things we wanted to do while living in Virginia, and this has been on there for a long time. And we realize this is not the last time we'll be living in this area, but this is kind of a farewell-see-ya-later tour that we are doing because we are foreign service rookies, and this is the kind of things rookies do.
• And finally, there is a new, unofficial countdown as Natalie received word from the Hermosillo Consulate that they would like her first day to be June 28. This moving thing keeps becoming more real every day.
The countdown unofficially began today when my publisher handed me a consulting contract that puts a big black circle around Friday, March 5. And it likely will really begin tomorrow when I sign it after making a couple of clarifications.
I've choked down this job since July 18, 2005, and during that time, I've interviewed for at least four different publications while applying for dozens more (more accurately, I started applying for jobs about six months after starting here and had my first interview about one year into this job).
And now the glorious light at the end of the tunnel can be seen, finally. Granted, it comes with the caveat that I'll still be depending on these people for freelance work, so I can't give that exit interview I've been dreaming of for years.
It also is not my intention to travel the world writing for this magazine, either. Ideally, I'll use this gig as a crutch for a year or less until I can find something more permanent or at least enough freelance work for publications I respect.
In this regard, March 5 represents the end of the tunnel, but it is not the end of the ride.
Beginning my freelance transition in March even though we aren't leaving for Hermosillo until late June is important because it will afford me more time to look around at other options.
It also affords me more time in general. This is an 8-to-5 job (actually 7:20 to 5:45 when accounting for commute) that I can get done in a few hours each week. Not only will I have time to explore other revenue-generating options, but I'll have more time to cook, exercise and watch March Madness. Really, March 5 couldn't be a better last day in that regards as Championship Week will be hitting its stride that day.
Now I just have to make it another week and a half, and then I'll get to start to enjoy my new found freedom.
I have no idea why this morning I was thinking about my government-issued health exam, but sure enough, I am.
I suppose part of it may be that after something as terrible as the Haitian earthquake, I feel like I have made a mistake during the checkup.
As part of Natalie's background checks, we both also had to submit to a thorough medical exam with family medical history, life-style questionnaires, needles, x-rays and fluid samples (no venereal diseases for me, thank you very much and nearly ideal blood pressure to boot).
As I went into the waiting room to give blood (oh, so many waiting rooms), the lady at the desk asked me if I wanted to join the State Department's DNA program. Sure, why not, maybe I'll get a discount or something.
"Are you sure?" the lady asked me. Hmmmm...So I had to ask why the DNA program was.
"We keep your DNA on record and use it to identify your remains."
Well, maybe that spooked me momentarily because I decided I didn't want to join the program. In hindsight, I wish I would have, but I don't think I was ready to be thinking about a potentially horrific death that could come as a result of traveling abroad.
Maybe it is my youthful disillusions about immortality, but I honestly don't care too much about receiving a proper funeral. But I've come to realize that if something such as a natural disaster were to strike where ever the government sends us, giving the government another tool to locate me would bring loved ones some sense of closure. So I wish I had let the government keep a record of my DNA.
But as I told my parents, Natalie did join the program, so if her remains are found with somebody the government cannot identify, then it is probably me. I don't think they found that very amusing or comforting.
