Diplomom08’s Weblog

What’s on your dinner plate?

No, seriously…I can always use new ideas, as I've come to the conclusion that I exist right now to solely stress about what I will cook my children for dinner. Dinner is huge for me. Breakfast is rushed, because Kelsey is the only one who can properly drag herself out of bed in the morning. The rest of us are lucky to gulp down hot cocoa or sometimes a (gasp) pop-tart (yes, I have them in my household at this moment, judge away). 

Lunch is taken care of by either buying at school (a good variety of local restaurants deliver daily), or whatever they decide they want. Kelsey has made her lunch for ages, and Nick usually takes leftovers (should they exist). So, I stress about dinner, because…well, that's a long story, but, in a nutshell, the idea of them coming home to nothing on the stove,  in the crockpot, or even having a kernel of an idea is just depressing. Not that I have to plan or do it all, but thanks to the hiring freeze, I've certainly got a little time on my hands.

And…there are the food options here. Between being able to shop at the commissary, the enormous markets full of the most gorgeous fruits and vegetables (the markets…oh, the markets), and the local grocery stores, we want for nothing (and if we did, there's Amazon). To say I feel spoiled for the chance to live here is an understatement. And, now that we are settled into our new place, and have extended for another year, I have to figure out my life other than cooking dinner. 

The olive selection here is nothing short of incredible…

I've realized I need to start by writing more. I've not been, because, well, sometimes there are things one can't write about. Other concerns have taken up my time, and while I can't delve into them here, suffice it to say, I won't be wasting more time fretting about them. I need to move onward and upward, even if it's just worrying about getting the soup into the crockpot, and the fritters on the stove before the critters come home…or even after they are home. At least, though, it's a plan.

I also need to write more about life here. There's so much to do, so much to see, so much to eat (Turkish breakfast…that's all), and I need to do more of it, and write more about it. We are already one year into our tour, and only have three left….

Turkish breakfast at a local favorite…

and now off to check on the black bean soup, prep the broccoli for the fritters, and begin stressing about tomorrow night's dinner….

The cat of four continents,

three states, and eight government related moves, Bailey, the original fur-in service gato extraordinaire, died peacefully in the wee hours of Sunday, May 7, 2017, at the age of 18-ish.

He was my first cat (ever), and the most relaxed, toddler-proof, child-friendly cat around. In the States, he kept us on our toes by occasionally escaping outside, and forcing a massive family cat-hunt. Overseas, the thought of leaving the house seemed to scare him (good, as he could sneak out quickly!), so he  alternated between hanging out atop our Drexel Heritage hutch in the dining room and "taking care of" the massive roaches that we never found alive. There weren't many, truth be told, but finding only the dead, dried up carapaces infinitely preferable to living cucarachas.

Along with the rest of us, our lifestyle allowed him to know countless hotels, endure crazy long flights, hang out in too many airports to count, be quite ill in too many planes, cars and shuttles to count (poor guy got very car and plane sick…it's a family thing), and go through more trips to more vets in more countries with medical tests to match. He always came through the tests with flying colors, and even (eventually) forgave us for the four week quarantine in Iceland. His only wish during his entire stay there was to figure out where the amazingly strong fish aroma came from (when you live near the water….).

In his youth, he enjoyed the views from the tops of the famous Foreign Service Drexel hutches. As he aged, he moved onto the orange, humpback couches ever present in any overseas FS home, and in his final year, he spent most of his time atop his sister's queen size bed, just large enough for him to stretch out.

Sometimes one needs…

just a little bit of inspiration. Things have been off for me for the past few months for a variety of reasons. I could chalk it up to any number of factors: another international move, first child going off to college (actually least stressful item), new schools for other kids (meh..in the long run, not so bad), adjusting to a new post (perhaps the ease of adjustment?) or any number of other things that have happened.

The reality is, I've been in a funk…a very weird funk that is inexplicable in many ways. Our current post is lovely. Our sponsors have been amazing. Our kids have found friends easily, Cait has adjusted to college so well, and moving here a year early turned out to be for the best. No "What do we do about the car?!" stress, etc. Yet, still…

No, it's not the weather. I love winter, plain and simple. I love cold, crisp days, and the wonder of a new world that a generous snowfall can create. I love the fun outdoors time it creates for the whole family, and the way it (sometimes) makes everyone slow down and appreciate nature a bit more. I think, perhaps, it was just too much at once.

We moved without much of a break this summer. Too much was up in the air, pet stresses (how much did we really have to do, and how much would it cost?), school decisions, vacation plagued by the stress of the unknown. I could go on and on, but the details are boring and only stressful to us. After all, most of you who are reading this likely deal with the same issues on a regular basis. And, really, we are lucky to deal with this type of stress. We have a lifestyle that we love, that entails so many benefits, but it can throw stress our way. Sometimes I think I just forget and try to bury the little stressors  instead of remembering to deal with them.

I finally realized this week, that I simply needed to get away from it all. We, as a family, needed to get away from everything, even if travel in and of itself could be stressful. I can't say that our trip started off well. I was in a deep funk, and spent three hours in the car alternately nodding off and brooding. We finally arrived at our hotel in Cappadocia, and after a little room switching around, suddenly started to…well, chill.

My mood finally started to shift ever so slightly. We were in a totally new place, had a lovely hotel room (two of them in fact, one for us and one for the kids), and decided to wander over to a restaurant/art gallery for dinner. As the hostess started to list the daily menu, I looked around. I took in the natural wonder of the cafe in a cave, lit by lamps made from hollowed out gourds. A sip of local Turkish wine, a taste of the tomato soup and a sampling of the mezze, and suddenly I really felt the stress start to lift. 

Yes, we were all tired from the drive, but we were all together and able to take a trip and enjoy a sumptuous dinner in a lovely cafe only steps from our hotel. I realized that I had let all of the stress of the move(s), stress that I had been holding onto since before we left Managua, simply take over. I hadn't fully let go of it, and who knew (okay, a friend did…) that we just needed time away. Time away to do nothing but be on a vacation of sorts.

So, a trip three hours away seemed to do the trick. For three days we explored, ate insanely good food, were frustrated by pounding rain, amazed by gorgeous snowfalls, and stunned by the history that surrounds us here. Really, there's nothing like hearing your 18 year old relay her art history knowledge to explain the significance of frescoes (a thousand years old or more) to your 8 year old (and she also reminds the 8 year old how lucky he is to be living in his 4th country since his birth).

With that, here's to a new year, and me resolving to get my act together and remember why we are here. I'm going to give myself more time in January and February to really get settled, finalize a few projects,  figure out what I do next, whether it be volunteer or work opportunities, and really delve back into writing. I can't forget to remember to explore, though. There's just so much to do…and this week's trip was such a good reminder that if I don't really get my act together, the chances will pass us by before I know it. 

Time flies…

as it has already been five weeks and several hours since our plane touched down at the airport in Ankara. After 24 hours of traveling, we had arrived.  Two parents, two kids, two cats, one dog, and a boatload of luggage to be tucked neatly into two waiting cars.

Dare I say the journey itself was nearly uneventful? It seems like all of our hyper planning paid off (and with the exceptional help of a certain veterinarian/auntie and family), and other than Peter having to make an unexpected trip through TSA with the dog, everything went so amazingly smoothly. We had a nice dinner at Dulles, were amazed by the amenities on the plane (Nick decided Lufthansa was far superior to Delta, thanks to the water bottles by our seats), and had a relatively calm layover in Munich. There was one small snafu when we went to the wrong terminal for our flight to Ankara, but not a big deal given we had 5 hours to get lost and find ourselves again before the flight took off.

Even the arrival in Ankara was fine. We had 5 minutes or so when we weren't sure where China and Kai might appear, but then a friendly airport employee showed up with them, and all was well. We found the waiting cars, hopped (okay, stuffed) ourselves in and headed off to our new home. And what can I say, but…it's absolutely lovely.

While we are in an apartment, we are surrounded by plenty of play space, dog walking areas, and even a bunny habitat (they are scattered about and fearless).  We can walk everywhere (or so it seems), and are enjoying beautiful fall weather. The markets are filled with every type of fruit and vegetable one could want (lemons galore!), and we are able to augment the rare item we can't find with a trip to the commissary. 

The first few days were filled with our jet-lagged attempts at getting the kids enrolled in school. Miraculously, we did it, thanks to the help of new (incredibly helpful) friends. The kids are only in their 5th week of school, but they are already quite settled and enjoying their classes. It hasn't been a completely smooth time, but the bumps in the road that we have had are certainly typical. In fact, I realized that I had to keep reminding myself during the first 2-3 weeks that it was okay if things weren't perfect. After all, we had just moved from a different continent and very different school and living situation.  It's hard to believe that we only left Managua three months ago, and yet…here we are, living in Ankara, a year early albeit, but already loving life in our new home. 

Now do we really only have three years to explore this amazing country? Where to start….

It seems like only yesterday…

_{but already a month has passed since we dropped Caitlin off at school.  I was planning a wonderful post drop-off post, however, with so much to do, and so little time…}

_{Funny to think back and realize that almost exactly three years ago to the day, I was waking up stressed out on a daily basis.  Upon our move to Managua, it hit me that it would be our final posting with Cait there, and that when she graduated from school, we would all leave post not long after. She would then go to college, and as soon as my mind dwelled on that, I could stress only about dollar signs.}

For whatever reason, I opted to stress about the cost instead of anything else. Despite having a VPEP, and a separate miscellaneous 529, I could only worry. What if it wasn't enough? What if she opted to go out of state (her choice, but far pricier), what if, what if, what if…

Somehow, I finally calmed down and realized I needed to focus on more relevant issues that were actually legitimate stressors at the time.  We also started looking into art programs, as she knew that would be the only option.

We are crammed

into a hotel in downtown "x"…

It's the last night before C goes to school.We are squeezed into a studio suite with C and her stuff…all of the items she packed up three months ago (and a few items thrown in along the way) to make her dorm feel more like home. I'm sure we will add a few more last minute items tomorrow, but for now…she is set. I know I'm supposed to be in tears. I'm supposed to be anxiously washing a last load of laundry, except for the fact that this stubborn girl insisted I teach her how to do her own laundry at age 10. Maybe I am supposed to be debating how I will fix her bed? Please, she's been doing that for years, too. Will I insist her father peruse the dorm to ensure all seems safe and secure? Um, no.

No. None of the above. Instead, I'm just going to watch in admiration…and if I cry, it will be only because I recognize how much she has going for her, and she knows it. I only wish that I currently had the self-confidence in one little finger, that C has in her whole…self.

It's been a crazy, insane life at times. The life of a DS/FS kid is not easy, but C has truly bloomed wherever she has been temporarily planted. Where will she go? What will she do? Only time will tell, but I foresee such an amazing life….

Love you, C, congrats, and can't wait to see what comes next….

It’s our 6th

(I think) week back in the States, and tonight three of us find ourselves at yet another hotel, mid-way through the journey to Cait's college of choice for the next 4 years. More importantly, tomorrow, most likely while driving to the town where said school is located…a certain someone will turn 18.

Since I'm writing this in the business center of a hotel somewhere in Western VA, and I still don't have a laptop, this will be short and sweet: Happy, Happy Birthday, dear Caitlin. It really does seem like yesterday that you were born, and I couldn't imagine you at one month old or a year, much less 18. Now, however, as you prepare to live (somewhat) on your own, it's hard to see you as anything but an amazing young artist with a sense of self I know I didn't have at that age. 

I'll blame my lack of laptop for not having that proper photo collage made, and instead will enjoy reviewing posts from years past. 

Yes…it’s been a while

For a variety of reasons, being it anything from lack of strong internet to lack of a computer, I have been absent in my writing. Oh, sure, I've written plenty in my head, but does it count if you don't put pen to paper, or in this case, fingers to a keyboard?

We have now officially departed Managua. We left last month after a rather hectic pack-out, mostly as our timeline has changed rather significantly. We are no longer spending 11 months in the VA area, but will head almost directly to post. These changes are good overall, but do mean that we have to speed things up, and compress a lot into less time.

Since we won't have as much time in the States as we originally had planned, we had all of the kids leave post early and have had a few extra trips during our home leave (mandated vacation for Peter, which I actually do love).  Cait left Managua first (along with her gato) to get orientation underway for college, and Nicholas and Kelsey also left a few days later. We (brilliantly) figured moving the pets and kids out first would give us a leg up on organizing the move, and that could not have been more than accurate. I also realized that being Managua is very car-necessary (for getting kids places), had the kids not left early, I would have spent a good bit of time just driving them places. I love them, and love getting them places, but when the clock is ticking…well, it was just lovely that the grandparents hosted for a couple of weeks!

Despite having to rearrange aspects of our move rather quickly, overall things went very smoothly.  The movers were good (no, great!), we ended up getting rid of at least 1,300 lbs of stuff (a good reminder of how much we don't need), and the whole process seemed far smoother than previous moves.  While we sold a few items, we gave the bulk of it away to a friend who runs a local organization for children and families. He distributes the donations nearly as soon as he gets them and then posts photos to let us know how the clothing, shoes, food (half a can of beans, he'll take it!) was being utilized.  There were a few sad moments during the move (leaving our friends, the house, Illeana…), but seeing the looks on the children's faces as they received new clothes or a treat of honey…so uplifting.

Since leaving Managua, we've visited Tennessee, Virginia (a week in Chincoteague), Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, when not staying with friends (incredible hosts) in Maryland.  It's been a lovely chance to reconnect with those here, while trying to prepare for the move to Turkey in less than a month.  The move itself has been a bit more stressful for the kids (particularly Nick, who really misses Nicaragua) than we anticipated, and we are still in the throes of picking out schools.  As we have yet to be able to make a decision, I have finally come to the conclusion that the worst case scenario would be online school until we can figure out what works best. For whatever reason, picking a school in Managua from afar seemed so much easier…

Given, though, that we have to get ourselves ready, get the pets ready, both Peter and I have classes to take, Cait has to get off to college, Kelsey has to have eye surgery (new excitement today!), and we might throw together an extra shipment, I am just taking this move day-by-day.  I can't even look forward to the weekend, as I'm so afraid I'll miss something scheduled for tomorrow or Thursday, and throw things off even more.  So, for now, it's time for another cup of coffee, and then to work on Cait's college budget, getting her prepped for school, working on rental cars for various trips, hotel reservations, meeting up with friends, and just trying to keep it all straight.  Here's to a happy Tuesday for all, and more updates soon, and best of all, more time to write once we land in Turkey.

Stunned and speechless, we are

in a good way.  As some of you know, we were still in the midst of the bidding process.  There was a rumor afloat that we might hear something today, but one never knows, right?

Well, now we do.  We hadn't shared our bid list because it was so wide, varied, and open.  There was just so much opportunity, and in fact, I've done little to no research up until now.  We knew that anything was possible, so we just let it all go and hoped for the best.  And?

Well, drum roll……

Our next stop will be:

but…didn't we want to go overseas?

Yep…and, we are…

this is just a brief stop in the USA for a year of language training before we head to:

Ankara, Turkey!  We are over the moon to announce that we will arrive in Ankara in June 2017 for a 3 year tour.  Huge congrats to Peter, and now to dream of vacations in and around Turkey…

And….

I'm still here.  Since the first injection went relatively well, and actually seemed to work (numbness decreased, my ability to move without pain increased), I went through with the second per my earlier post. When originally planning the second, there wasn't really enough time put in for me to recover from it and get a sense of whether or not it worked.  So, I was extended again until December 16th.

Then after more discussion, and talking with the third doctor (who actually performed the injections), that it is likely best that I do all three.  If I don't, I risk not getting the full benefit.  At this point, it won't have me staying here that much longer, as I would not need a follow-up appointment after the third injection for another six months.  So, I will have the third, have a recovery day, and hopefully fly back to Managua on December 23rd.

It's been an interesting few weeks. I've been trying to combine errands with keeping up on things back home, finishing up Christmas prep that I can do from here, and wishing I could see all of the performances that I am missing.  On the other hand, Peter was able to attend most things I couldn't, he got a smashingly good photo of Nick's performance last night of all of the iPhones being held up in the air (I'm guessing that's just a universal thing now), was able to then scoot to Cait's end of season monologue for her acting class (held at a local dance studio), and even took a great video for me.  Not quite the same as being there, but not missing entirely and feel like I'm fairly caught up thanks to Skype, Facebook phone, and even just regular old phone calls. 

I wasn't sure what on earth I'd do on the medevac at first, given the length of time between appointments, but have found it's not so hard here to fill one's days. Just driving anywhere is not for the weak of heart or those low on time (the roads for the most part are in amazing condition….except when jam-packed).  I've mixed doctors appointments, working on medevac issues, and trying to research open season options for next year with get-togethers, local things to do, mailing teacher gifts and other treats back home, and just enjoying being able to catch up on my HGTV (did you expect more of me?).  

Just a few of the things I've missed, along with one or two events here I normally wouldn't get to do….

Nick and his diorama of a "winter wolf hunting deer." I'm guessing I might get to see the diorama in person when I get home, if the cats leave it alone that long.

Nick's Christmas show (The Giving Tree). He's the one in the black shirt and the Santa hat, right behind that iPhone…oh…wait.

Now for a few things I have enjoyed:

Meadowlark Gardens Winter Walk of Lights!  They have a beautiful, walkable festival of lights every year. It is an easy walk (maybe a mile or so?) with tons of gorgeous lights. The weather has been fantastic here lately, so I highly recommend going if you can. Great for families, and there is even a snack area at the end with a fire pit. One can purchase a "s'mores kit" so the kids (or kids at heart) can enjoy a tasty treat at the end.  Without the kids, or the need for extra sugar, I opted out, but if we are back next year for any reason, I think we will all partake.

The von Trapp great-grandchildren and Stephanie J. Block singing at the holiday pops concert (with the NSO) at the Kennedy Center.  I was able to get a great discounted seat online via Goldstar and the concert was just amazing. Wishing I had researched the parking cost a bit more (and that giant expensive cookie), but if that money is filtered back towards more venues like that, so be it.  The von Trapps were spectacular (they are the grandchildren of Werner, who was Kurt in the movie), and I would be stunned if anyone had a dry eye in the house when they sang Edelweiss.

And with that…maybe it's time to head to a few more holiday events before I head back.