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U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. The work that diplomats do has an impact on the world as they serve at one of any of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

The duties of a Consular Officer include to provide emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens and protect our borders through the proper adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens. We adjudicate immigrant and non-immigrant visas, facilitate adoptions, help evacuate Americans, combat fraud, and fight human trafficking. Consular Officers touch people’s lives in important ways, often reassuring families in crisis. They face many situations which require quick thinking under stress and develop and use a wide range of skills, from managing resources and conducting public outreach to assisting Americans in distress.

A rainy day in April



Very early morning meeting today. Bought breakfast at Big Apple Bagel at 5:50am and mentally wonder what time the cashier had to get up in order to serve me my toasted chocolate chip bagel with cream cheese and chai tea.

Carpool to the far side of Grand Rapids in the darkness and pouring rain in order to meet and talk for no less than 5 hours about various curriculum issues, marketing plans and 'big picture' schemes for the small business that I work for. Best idea by far is paying the most popular American Idol contestant to wear a shirt with our logo on it while s/he performs. Genius. More people vote for American Idol from their phones than on a ballot in this country.

Have a classy business lunch by myself and the complimentary wi-fi at Burger King which goes deliciously with a Whopper junior. Considerably disappointed that BK does not offer any type of ice cream dessert. Drive across town to a shoe repair store only to find that for some unexplicable reason they are closed today (though their sign says open daily 9-5). Awesome. Renew books on CD at public library and drop off used clothing at a thrift store.

Gather my courage to tackle the grocery store and the complicated and long list my mom debriefed me on the night before. It is still raining. An hour later still in Family Fare things have gone rather smoothly except for locating the following: naturally dried dates, frozen pig-n-the-blankets and dried basil. Am momentarily confused when asked at the deli if I want my point of deli-sliced turkey to be: oven-roasted, organic, Spartan, Boar's Head, honey-flavored or smoked. I choose Spartan. After checking out discover that the cashier has charged me twice for my asparagus bundle and have to wait in line at customer service so I can reclaim the $2.41 that is rightfully mine (or should I say belongs to mom and dad's credit card).

Fill up the tank. Deposit a check. Listen to my book on CD on the 20 min. drive home and unpack all groceries. Watch an episode of House online. Eat a slice of pizza. Attempt to go for a run but it ends up being a 'brisk' walk in the freezing fog that is Michigan in late April. Try to enjoy my post-run snack of cookies and milk while mom cleans the vomit stains on the rug from the dog from the night before. Almost sneak out of the kitchen when Dad snags me and insists on giving me a detailed and hands-on lesson of "how to replace a broken belt on your household vacuum cleaner" - "it could happen to anyone at anytime". Use said vacuum cleaner to prepare the upstairs for a weekend full of company. Am in the midst of cleaning while listening to my mom's swing CD which is driving me nuts and need a break.

It is still raining.
Read More 3 comments | Posted by Sarah Sanderson edit post

3 comments

  1. Mama Hawk on May 1, 2009 at 10:06 AM

    I can't decide if this is a good day or a bad day. I'm leaning towards a little bit of both, mostly because who doesn't want to know how to change a belt on a vacuum cleaner?

     
  2. Anonymous on May 12, 2009 at 8:37 PM

    I so love your diet here. And of course, you still look like a supermodel. Damn that exercise.

     
  3. Amanda on May 31, 2009 at 6:11 PM

    What book are you listening to on tape?? Do you like it more than reading?? I am just wondering because I was thinking of buying one of Itunes to see if I liked it or not!

     


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    Sarah Sanderson
    I am currently in Mandarin language training as a new diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. Sean and I depart for Wuhan, China in November 2019 for my first tour in consular affairs.
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