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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.

Current Events

I haven't posted much lately because we have been on the road. My friend Emily came to visit on June 25 and we spent the next 10 days traveling around Changzhou, Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. After a day of recuperation back in Changzhou Sean, Peter, Daniel and I leave tomorrow for a river cruise down the Yangtze River. This type of cruise is famous in China because you can see some famous gorges from the boat and then visit the Three Gorges Dam - the largest one in the world. We'll arrive back in Changzhou on the 10th with enough time to relax and pack a little before heading back home (to Michigan!) on the 14th. Among spending time with friends and family I am excited for:

-American food (especially mom's food and dad's grilling)
-Western toilets (and not having to put the toilet paper in the trash)
-uncensored internet and news
-clean air
-drinking from the tap
-obedience of traffic laws and orderly drivers
-no mosquitoes inside

But I'll miss:

-my Chinese friends
-Chinese food
-the prices
-the fun of practicing and learning Chinese
-the ease of train travel
-free music and movies (ie lack of copyright laws)
Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Sarah Sanderson edit post

1 Comment

  1. Anonymous on July 9, 2010 at 10:30 AM

    Sarah, I'm excited for you to come home for a bit and enjoy those comforts that you miss! I hope I get to see you, even if just for a few hours. I miss you! Love, E

     


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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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    Sarah and Sean
    Grateful for my very tolerant, supportive and easygoing husband who's always game for a new adventure

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    This website is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the officer's own and do not represent the Foreign Service or the U.S. Department of State.

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