Home leave is over, and our year in the D.C. area for training has begun. It's so strange to be back here in these apartments again. We were here four years ago, when my hubby joined the Foreign Service and was in training the first time. I had post-partum so bad that I never went anywhere or did anything. I wasn't working, was far away from home for the first time for more than a few weeks, had a new baby, had a newish husband, and had just signed our lives away to the State Department for at least a year. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, and I didn't know how to handle it at all. Well, two tours, a foreign language, and another kid later, I am really liking it here.
I've got the boys involved in all the activities going on in the complex; I found a Montessori school for my youngest w/ a half-day program; and my oldest is going to be in the best public kindergarten in the country. I'm even making "friends" rather quickly. This is a whole new world to me.
The moms that I've met at the playground are mostly a couple of tours in (at least) and understand the many ins and outs of FS life. Talk revolves around language training, countries lived in, languages learned, pros and cons of various postings, incredible stories of what they've experienced in countries like: Eritrea, Japan, China, Lesotho, Nicaragua, etc. We speak each other's language and all have kids who are transitioning between new and old schools, languages, homes, countries, nannies, and lives. It's just so refreshing not to have to explain my life for once; rather I get to talk to people who are going through the same thing for once!!!
Another really neat perk about living here is that we're able to see a lot of people that we haven't seen for a few years/tours. I've been catching up with my best friend from when we were in Ecuador.
