Last few weeks in Cameroon...

So here I am spending my last few weeks in Cameroon alone. Anyone who checks in regularly knows that Alberto and Sofia left a week ago so that they could spend some time in Mexico with Al's family. He hasn't been home in a couple of years and I wanted Sofia to get to go, so this was the best time. What it means though, is that I am still here in Africa, since I can't leave until a prescribed date. So we packed our stuff just before they left and now I am sleeping on a very uncomfortable government-issued mattress and eating on government-issued plates. Guess which one makes me sort of cranky...it's not the plates.

Anyway, I get to pretend to be a single person for a few weeks. Sounds great, right? Well the only issue with that is that since we have already sold our truck, I am basically at the mercy of the motorpool and any of my friends that I can beg for a ride. Being alone in a mostly empty house with no wheels, is pretty tough. Oh well, I have made plans to rectify this situation.

I have planned dinner with friends for the next three nights. I want to laugh and talk and have a good time, because I must remember that Cameroon was a good place for us. We have been happy here. Sofia learned a lot and Al and I made some really excellent friends. I do not want my final memories of Cameroon to be sitting in the dark in my empty house watching old episodes of "NCIS" on the internet.

So I will go out with friends; I will laugh and talk and drink wine and I will take my camera and get pictures of all of these amazing friends. That way when we move on to the next adventure and I am finally reunited with my family, when they ask, "So what did you do while we were gone", I will actually have some stories to tell.

T-minus 22 days and counting...until next time.

Catching up for the last month or so...

I realize that it has been a long time since I posted anything new, and I am truly sorry for my absence. July was a pretty slow month for me, so I didn't have anything to post. Sofia on the other hand has been really busy. Al and Sofia spent a few weeks in Mexico visiting his family. It was a great time for Alberto and Sofia got to meet her brother and sister so the trip was worthwhile all around. Here some great pictures that Al took while he was there.

Sofia and her cousin, Sofia

The palapa and pool that Al's family owns outside of San Luis Potosi. 

Sofia and her sister, Gaby

Sofia and her brother, Didi

Once they returned from Mexico, Sofia had 2 days of rest and then was off again. She took her first unaccompanied minor flight back to Jackson, MS to visit the Wells crew. 

When I talked with Sofia, this is an abridged transcript of the conversation.

Me: Sofia, how did you like flying by yourself.

Sofia: Momma, I got to sit in the big front seat and there was no one for me to talk to.

Now, you and I know that "First Class" is a pretty cool thing. Especially since we didn't pay for "First Class", but what Sofia focused on was that she didn't have anyone to talk to. And yes, for Sofia, not having anyone to talk to for 3 whole hours, is a really big deal. 

Here is a shot of her reunion with Jake and one with Nona and Buelo.

She went to Philadelphia just in time for the Neshoba County Fair. It was really hot so she ended up spending a big part of her visit in the water; swimming at the Country Club and at the Water Park.

Here are some pictures of her visit.

Sofia's home away from home

 

Grandma Sue, Papa, Anna Katherine and Sofia

While Sofia was gone, Al and I "packed-out" the apartment. I will be honest. I have no idea why it took 6 hours to pack out this tiny apartment. We only have two bedrooms and none of the furniture in it is ours. I realize that these guys get paid by the hour, but let me tell you, they did not have a bit of "giddy-up" in them at all. So on August 1st, all of our stuff was boxed up and moved out of the apartment. What we are left with is the stuff that we think we are going to put in our luggage. We hope that it all fits. If not, we can always mail it to ourselves. 

On August 2nd, Sofia flew back to D.C. with Mom. Unfortunately, since she was not an unaccompanied minor, she didn't get first class and neither did mom. While mom was here, we didn't do anything too stressful but we did play mini-golf. We went to a couple of different places. One of them was really incredible. It had a jungle theme. Here is a shot of us before we went through the "Temple of Doom".

We also went to visit my Great Great Uncle Cliff and his wife Angela. We got some pretty good pictures. In the first shot, it is the whole family and in the second, you might recognize Virginia. Yes, yes, I know, applause is in order. I actually got mom into a picture. It is such a rare occurrence, that I feel the need to share it with the world. Besides, it is a really great picture.

So here we are, counting down the days until departure. It is coming up soon and we are very excited. We are nervous, but it is definitely time to get moving. The next time I post, it will be from Cameroon. Please keep us in your prayers. 

Look out, the adventure is about to begin!

Until next time...

So what's new?

I know that everyone wants my life to be super exciting now that I am officially sworn in as a foreign diplomat...and I suppose in some ways it is. I really enjoy meeting all these new people. I have enjoyed my training and I am learning some pretty interesting stuff. But honestly, I am just in training...it really isn't anything exciting enough to put in the blog. 


But I had a request to do an update, so here I am. 


Al packed out the house today, which is great, and sad, and great! He had to do it all by himself with the movers and I know that it was really hard for him. I can't tell you how lucky I am to have such a great husband. He is such a trooper. 


And speaking of troopers, now that there are no dishes or silverware in the house, Sofia gets to eat at a restaurant every night. She is in heaven! I told her that she had to eat at least one vegetable everyday. She proceeded to tell me that if her daddy would take her to Samurai (favorite sushi place) every night, then she would eat Edamame (steamed soybeans) every night and that could count as a vegetable since its green. Well, I am impressed that she is willing to eat soybeans everyday.


They have to stay in Mississippi this week and next for Sofia to finish the required amount of school and then they will be making their way to Washington DC. I am so excited and can't wait to see them!


Last weekend some of my friends and I took a tour of some of the major monuments in Washington DC. We saw the White House, the Washington Monument, the Capital building and many others. Not only did we take this tour, we took this tour on a Segway. This may truly be one of the coolest things that I have ever done. Here are some pictures so that you can see what I am talking about.

Here we are at the Capital building.

Look the Washington Monument is coming out of Mandy's head!

Here we are acting silly in front of the White House.

So, that's a look at what I have been up to this last week. I have lots more training to do and we are going to be here in Washington DC until at least August, so I am sure that I will have many more cool and interesting pictures to show you.


To leave you with one final picture, I found this sign while we were out walking around and it made me giggle. I hope that you enjoy it too!

Really, Slug Pickup, Really?

Until next time...

Final Week Prep....Continued

Okay, so I hit publish before I was ready so here is part two of the update.

Ever wonder what 250 lbs of stuff looks like? Well, I suppose that 250 lbs of potatoes looks very different than 250 lbs of feathers, but in real people stuff? Just because I know that you are curious, here you go.

That's it....six boxes. 250 lbs of stuff. Mostly clothes, lots of clothes, and the hangers that those clothes are on. And shoes, did I mention shoes and the shoe thing that the shoes go in. And bath products, girls have a lot of bath products and I am no exception. Just FYI...for those of you who know that I like to cook. I also snuck in my good knife set, my favorite hand grater, two spatulas and a couple of other neat kitchen tools that I didn't want to be without. 

So here's what happens next. They take the six boxes and turn them into two boxes...

Wow, that's it. That is just 2 boxes and they hold 250 lbs of my most precious possessions. Since it is my first UAB (Unaccompanied air baggage) pack-out, I probably included plenty of stuff that I don't need and didn't include lots of stuff that I will need, but you live and you learn. The next time I pack UAB, it will be in preparation for our first overseas posting. I can't wait. I will be a pro by then, right?

On a more somber note, I hate to think about Al having to get the entire rest of the house packed out. I hate it for him, but there is a small part of me that is really glad that I won't be here. Al and the packers will probably be very grateful that I am not constantly looking over their shoulders, too. 

Well, that's it for now. My flight leaves on Saturday so I am going to enjoy one last visit with my friend Felica tonight and will enjoy the day tomorrow with my sweet Al.

Until we meet again..............

Two weeks and counting....

Saturday morning, two weeks out from D day, Departure Day. Here's where we stand so far....


1. I have a fully furnished apartment reserved in Washington DC at Oakwood Falls Church; small problem, they called me this week and said that some of the people scheduled to check out have extended and so the 2 bedroom apartment that we are supposed to get will not be available when I get to DC. They have a 1 bedroom available and they will move me into a 2 bedroom, as soon as something is available. This is a small inconvenience, but nothing major. Al and Sofia won't even be in Washington for a couple of months, so maybe by then, we will have the bigger apartment. If not, we will just be up close and personal, all cozy...didn't the Ingall's family from Little House on the Prairie all sleep in one room?


2. I spoke with the packing/moving company this week. We have our pre-pack survey on Wednesday afternoon. This means that someone from the moving company will come and walk through the house with me while I point out which things will need to be packed and moved. Seems easy enough, but since a large portion of our stuff is being given away or sold, this presents a challenge in explaining things. Example: We want the stuff in the cabinet, but the actual cabinet is not to be shipped. They told me to stop packing things myself. They may have to undo everything that I have done, if it is not packed to appropriate specifications. So I am relegated to sorting stuff and making piles. My house is a nightmare. Don't look mom!


3. On the work front, I am turning over the reigns next week to my replacement. She will get to work with me for the whole week, which should mean that is at least 1 area of my life where I still have some control. I am thrilled with my replacement, she should be excellent and I am confident that I am leaving the hospital in competent hands. I am surprised to say, but I am actually sad to leave. I love Garden Park Medical Center and I will continue to be a strong supporter of this amazing facility that has meant so much to me.


4. Finally, my grandparents are on town. Henry and Shirley Richmond have made the drive down from North Texas, just to help if they can. Mostly what they are going to do is help me keep my mind off everything. We are going to play dominoes and other games and just enjoy some family time. It should be great and an appreciated distraction.


What will the next couple of weeks bring? Stay tuned to Arriaga's Adventures for breaking news.