Back to Work

I had an awesome vacation.  It was great to spend time with my family.  We moved my sister into a new house - I got an awesome TV.  I spent two days in Vegas (spent less in Vegas than Wal-Mart).  I saw most of my extended family.  I even managed to see enough snow to last me for the year.

Usually, I am not there for the family get together and it is my senior portrait being held up.  But this time, I was  home while Shelley was working at Christmas.

Me with Nana and Nanu.  Nanu is doing much better after being very sick this fall.

New York, New York skyline on the Strip

Ezekial, my cousin Jenny's son. He liked the camera.

Coming back this week, my big project was working on the Post of the Month article.  Each month, State Magazine (the official magazine of the State Department) features one of the Posts around the world.  The article is written by one of local officers and showcases photos of the post.  Back in September, our PAO (Public Affairs Officer) asked me if I'd like to write the article for when Belmopan is featured in the April issue of the magazine.  She knew I wrote this very blog and thought I might like to Post of the Month.  I, of course, said yes.  

(Note: this will be the third time I've been published - I had two articles published in Truman State's history journal my senior year and my article on gerrymandering was published in the St. Louis University Public Law Review.  This will clearly be my largest audience.  Besides the fact that it is awesome to get published, this will also be awesome for my EER (performance review).  Not many people get to write these articles and even fewer first tour Consular officers without any PD experience.)

When I went on vacation, I thought the article was due at the end of the month.  When I got back on Monday January 10, I found out it was actually do on January 15.  So, that is what I spent most of my week on.  I got the article drafted, edited, cleared and turned in.  The article will appear in the April issue - so I will link to it when it is ready.