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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.

More on Yellow Mountain


On Saturday we hiked up Yellow Mountain and reached as far as we could go (there was an area even higher, but it was closed due to a foreigner falling to his death a year previously, so I'm told). The reward at the top was a glimpse of a famous tree - a pine tree that is named the "Welcoming Pine" because its branches are supposedly welcoming you with open arms.


The hike up took us hours and we stopped for lots of breaks and snacks. Fortunately, the mountain wasn't too busy and the only people we had to move aside for were the porters - incredibly tough workers who transported anything from food, water, bricks, bedding and other supplies up and down the mountain.


We decided to take a cable car down because it was getting to be dark and we were tired, cold and hungry. Though the line for the car was pretty intense and the cableway was expensive (about $9) it was worth it and we enjoyed pleasant scenery and a rapid descent.


Once on the bottom we enjoyed a huge dinner and some local beers with much massaging of sore muscles. The plan was to hike on Sunday as well but that didn't end up happening as our card games and bouts of "Truth or Dare" lasted until well past 3am. Instead, everyone slept in happily and after a late breakfast we explored some other parts of the city nearer to the train station. We ended up at a little cafe which served cappuccinos and cheesecake and offered dimly lit rooms with plenty of beanbag chairs.


The weekend went way too fast and it was the most fun I've had in awhile. We arrived back to Changzhou in the week hours of the morning and after some McDonalds breakfast returned to campus for showers, coffee and our 8am classes. Everyone had a good time and I hope we can do another trip like this soon. Maybe Hangzhou?

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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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