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.

Changing of the guard

View along the coast during our hiking trip

Yesterday, when I went to drop my sister Sue off at the airport my friend, Erica, had already landed and was waiting for me. It felt a bit like the changing of the guard as I hugged my sister and saw her off and then turned around and greeted my friend who was excited to start her own two-week adventure here in Brazil.

Ropes course/zip lines through the jungle in Itacaré

I had an absolutely fantastic time with Susie. I didn't have a plan and we just did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it. Sue wanted to take things easy at the beginning so for the first week we hung around my city and some neighboring towns visiting friends and students and frequenting many beaches. The second week we spent in a beautiful, beacy, hippie town a few hours north up the coast called Itacaré. We had thought to visit some other cities as well but were having so much fun in Itacaré since we had met some friendly locals that we decided to stay the whole second week. Part of the week involved a three-day long hiking/camping trip along the beach from Barra Grande back to Itacaré. It was quite the adventure. Really. But, more on that later.

Beach hike to Prainha

I've missed being able to blog but the break from the internet has been refreshing. More importantly, though, I've been able to soak up every single precious minute of time with my sister and now with my friend. It's one thirty in the morning currently after Erica has gone to bed and I am frantically packing for our two-week jaunt up to Salvador and then to one of Brazil's most famous national parks: Chapada Diamantina. I'm really excited! I already don't want her to leave as I know it will be a long and lonely dry spell between visitors before the next one . . . Sean on September 5! Saying that I can't wait for him to get here doesn't even begin to cover how hard it's been. Thank goodness for Sue and Erica who came to visit during my vacation and brought a lot of love and support with them - I really appreciate it!

Getting ready for surf class

Learning to stand up paddle on the bay

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Sarah Sanderson

1 Comment

Shelly on July 16, 2013 at 10:30 AM

Hang in there, Sarah! I hope that you enjoy your time back in Salvador, and in Chapada Diamantina.

Wanderlust

In Mandarin: 旅遊癮 (lǚyóu yǐn)

According to my Mandarin teacher, the term 'wanderlust' can best be translated as 'a travel addiction or craving'. In the above translation, 'yǐn' has several meanings such as 'a strong impulse', 'a longing', or 'a desire'.

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

Changing of the guard

1 Comment