It's no secret that we joined this Foreign Service life to live abroad. Chris's specialty, however, has a lot of US positions too, so it is a constant competition to get overseas (unless you just want temporary trips alone).
We've alternated posts each transfer season from foreign to domestic to foreign to domestic. Now we are kind of both.
Chris accepted a posting to a hardship post in the sand where families aren't allowed to travel. He'll be in overseas/unaccompanied for the year.
The girls and I have moved to Florida (as of August), as Virginia wasn't really our speed. For comparable money, we can be in a sprawling ranch home with a pool and small (wonderful) school vs Virginia's townhome living with a school of almost 1,000 in just K-5 and a one hour commute each way. I must say the beaches, lakes, sunshine and warm temps (and no state tax) might have had an itsy bitsy bit of weight in our decision too. Chris now also has a much more relaxing R&R point to visit :)
Though it worries those we love, we don't jump into anything lightly. We weigh our options, make sure situations are as safe and researched as possible and trudge onward. We study to exhaustion and then set out to accomplish our goals. We are determined as a family to make this year worth the separation and time apart. Determined to do all we can to stay current and close, to focus on areas we can control and come out positive when we are back together next summer.
We'll bid again this fall and see where the winds blow us next summer! I am hoping to focus again on blogging... and catch up on the years, photos and stories yet to log and share.
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