National Archives Augmented Reality Photo Contest

The National Archives is sponsoring an innovative photo contest that combines their historic photographs with current images. Details are available on the Challenge.gov site. Selected photographs will be published in a postcard book. What I love about this contest is that it invites users to explore the Archival Research Catalog and create something new.

YouTube Video: Internet Access in Ukrainian Library Helps Community Grow Better Tomatoes

A colleague told me about this clever video highlighting how residents of a Ukrainian village doubled their tomato production through using the Internet at their local library. The library received computers and training through a project administered by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded the video and IREX created it. I love the pace, anecdotes, and compelling story.

My introduction to QR codes

I am currently reading through the 2010 Horizon Report: Museum Edition and thinking about the latest in using mobile technology to engage users.  This was the first time I ran across quick response (QR) codes which are barcodes that can be scanned by mobile devices to point to a URL or send a text message. I can see how they can be used to enhance a museum visitor's experience by offering details about an object directly to their phone. QR codes are also increasingly used in advertising and could be useful in promoting library programs by including QR codes on library cards, posters, materials. You can visit this site: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ to instantly create a code. Here is the one for this blog's URL:

Neat, huh? Here's a link to a QR code art flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1049441@N25/. I'm in the market for a new cell phone and am considering an android phone that can actually read these codes. Anyone have any direct experience with this?

Exploring the Countryside

My first bid results are in:  we will be here for a while! Although I don't get to start learning a new language right away and travel the world, I think this works out best for us. I am excited about the office I will be working in after training and have already met a few of my future co-workers. They were kind enough to come to our swearing-in ceremony on Friday to introduce themselves.

My in-laws were in town for the event and it was so nice for P to have his grandparents to occupy him while we went apartment-hunting. We found a great high-rise apartment that is walking distance to shops, a movie theater, and the metro. I am so excited to move in - probably around Thanksgiving. Now we just have the minor issue of finding a new daycare for P - hopefully he can stay where he is currently for a few more weeks.

The weather has been gorgeous this weekend so we decided to explore the Shenandoah National Park, drive along the Skyline Drive, and visit the Luray Caverns. The views were breathtaking and the Caverns were unique - I especially enjoyed the Stalacpipe Organ and Dream Lake - a reflective pool of the abundant stalactite formations.

Wonderful, wonderful week...

It's been a very busy week and I am so glad to see that I have some followers eager for an update! Moving, new daycare, new jobs has made us all feel overwhelmed and at times a bit cranky. We made it although I haven't felt this busy in a very long time. This whole experience has been invigorating. There have been ups and downs. My husband had good and bad news. The German test was a wash - what a disappointment, but he scored higher on his written test this time around - here's hoping for a stellar OA score. I personally believe he's got all the right stuff for the job and he knows WAY more history, geography, and politics than I do but it is all in the timing.

Here we are in Virginia...

We made it! It's been nearly a week of packing, moving, driving, visiting, and adjusting to changes. There were a couple bumps in the road, but otherwise everything went well. Packers arrived Monday to pack our clothes, books, and toys for the unaccompanied air baggage. They also packed the rest of our belongings for long-term storage. They were courteous and professional. The movers came Tuesday with a tractor trailer to take away our 5500 pounds of household effects and furniture. Our neighbors weren't happy to have the road blocked, but the guys were fast. We were impressed by the service as this was our first experience using professionals to haul our stuff.

The only real bummer is that our unaccompanied air baggage hasn't arrived yet and we don't have an ETA for it. This would be fine if I hadn't packed all our work clothes and our son's entire wardrobe and many of his toys in that shipment. I assumed it would be delivered prior to the start of orientation on Monday. Lessons learned: don't make any assumptions about air shipments and be prepared for the first few days! I guess we have to get used to these things. Luckily there's an H&M nearby.

Our son visited his new daycare today at FSI and got really excited about starting school. He made friends with the security officer and with the assistant director. It's a lovely facility - spacious, clean, and everyone is very friendly.

Everything starts Monday - new jobs and new schools - we're all a bit nervous, but optimistic.

Update - 2.5 Weeks Until the FSS Orientation

Back in the States and getting ready for the big move to Virginia. I've got most of the pre-employment forms completed and signed, except for the few that require witnesses. On Saturday my husband's friends from work will be hosting a party for him as he prepares to transfer his job to DC. He will be so relieved to cut his commute time in half. He took the German language test again last week as well as the FSOT. We're encouraged by the good news from The B Files and will continue to patiently wait for his invitation.

I had a bad scare yesterday when I was informed that my check out date for Oakwood will be in November at the end of the initial three weeks of training. I frantically called my HR representative (who deserves an award for patiently fielding questions from me) and was reassured that IRO training will keep me in the Washington, DC area at least until January. I had it in my head that we would be there until the end of April, hence my need to get our son into the FSI daycare. Several emails later, I think the right people know about my extended training and we should be set. In the end, how long we will be in DC will depend on our first post and whether I will need language training.

For now we are trying to enjoy our last two weeks in Michigan. The weather is gorgeous and we have some favorite autumn activities like getting apple cider and pumpkin donuts, going on hayrides, and visiting the places we haven't had a chance to yet, like the Ypsilanti Firehouse Museum.

Thousands of Miles Away

I'm visiting family in Romania this month and the experience has me musing about how much the country has changed in twenty years. I vaguely remember my first trip back in 1990 after the exciting and violent events of the Christmas before. We rented a car in Vienna and drove east through the night eager to see people we had left behind a decade earlier. The streets were pitch dark and there were very few cars on the road. The village houses barely had running water and outhouses were the norm. There was a sugar shortage and the stores were empty. Locating a gas station was a real feat. Yet the people were warm, inviting, and hospitable. Twenty years later, there are still horse led carriages in the nearest town, but so much has changed. Highways have been built, buildings have been renovated, stores of all kinds opened. The changes have been gradual and I have been lucky to have witnessed them over the years. I hope that my experiences here will serve me well as I live in and travel to new places in the near future.

Air Shipment

Yikes! Our air shipment survey came up twice the authorized weight which is currently 600 pounds with three family members. I have to re-think the children's furniture and the toys. Not a big deal. We signed up for this lifestyle knowing that we would not always have access to our belongings. It reminds me of my minimalist days teaching in Eastern Europe after college on $40 a month. I love a challenge!

In other news, we went to see the Wiggles yesterday which was such a treat for our son. He and I leave for Romania on Tuesday. I can't believe it's late August already. I also virtually met another IRO candidate starting in October and she's a tandem!

Household Survey

Things are moving so quickly. Today a representative from the moving company is coming over to survey our belongings for pack out in October. The house is a mess and I'm blogging. Not sure I have my priorities straight!

Hodgepodge

There is a lot on my mind today. I have been combing through the various Foreign Service related yahoo groups for information about the Oakwood apartments, daycare options, residency, pack out, and so on. I thought I would compile a list of the groups I'm currently subscribed to:
Foreign Service Specialists (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Foreign_Service_Specialists/)
FSSCareers (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FSSCareers/)
fsoa (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fsoa)
FSparent (http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/FSparent)
FS_FallsChurch (http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/FS_FallsChurch)
livelines (http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/livelines)
statetandems (http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/statetandems)

These lists are jam packed with resources and interesting tidbits about all things Foreign Service. For many of the groups, you do need to provide your full name and an explanation of your interest in the group.

Since my future position will involve the management of information resource centers, I have been reading Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman's First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. The book is based on results of a gigantic study of 80,000 managers conducted by the Gallup Organization. Its insights make sense for any organization and any level of supervision, whether in a classroom or in a large, hierarchical organization. My favorite quote is from page 184 "create heroes in every role." I'm also re-reading Robert Stueart and Barbara Moran's Library and Information Center Management. I have taught lessons on leadership with this book and have found it to be a good overall resource. The online resources that accompany the text are helpful in their practical application of some of the theory.


Finally, I have been re-visiting my interest in essential oils. Lately, I've been hearing about bedbugs a lot. On NPR, in the New York Times, for example. I had a nasty encounter with these parasites in a Prague hostel many years ago. On top of that, I had an allergic reaction to the bites - not fun. Essential oils can be a terrific, natural defense against any of these critters. I use a home-made bug repellant based on lemongrass, lavender, and thyme from Valerie Ann Worwood's fantastic resource The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy. Essential oils, however, are not limited to bug repellants. I use them to deter me from biting my nails (a nervous, life-long habit) and simultaneously help them grow strong and lengthy. I have been using organic personal care products that contain lavender and find that geranium oil is great in the bath after a long day. I use them for cleaning and mix them with water in spray bottles to freshen up a room in no time. Many of the oils (like lavender) have antiseptic and antibacterial qualities so you protect yourself from germs and pests rather easily. I'm not sure of their availability oversees so I will have to stock up before we leave the States. I think that's enough of my ramblings for today.

It's Official

After all the waiting and the uncomfortable conversations last week, I received an email invitation to join the October 25 Foreign Service Specialist orientation class. We haven't really celebrated yet. Seems to be there is too much to think of, too many to do lists, and some worrying about my husband's position on the Consular Register (that darn German test - I wish he had a different language). Today I made our reservation with Oakwood - a process that went very smoothly and pleasantly. I also learned that there are no more spots at the FSI childcare facility which is worrying me. My husband may have to commute to Baltimore if his transfer doesn't go smoothly. But we are hoping for the best.

There is so much to do.
1) Run around the condo taking pictures of our belongings and creating an inventory. Luckily we don't have anything valuable - just my dad's paintings and I'm not sure what I will do with those yet since they're so fragile.
2) Weed through more of our stuff. We started that process a year ago when our basement flooded so it shouldn't be too difficult. I admire the effort that the B Files has taken to de-clutter.
3) Buy a new suit. The student lifestyle has meant that I haven't updated my wardrobe in a while.
4) Make appointments with our doctors/dentists and obtain medical records.
5) Make copies of our most important records and notarize them.
6) Settle things with the bank.
7) Fill out all the DS paperwork when it comes. Figure out how I'm going to do that while out of the country in September.
8) Sell our second car.
9) Finish up my work at the library and tie any loose ends at school.
10) Figure out what I'm going to do about the SAA working group I'm supposed to sit on next year.

I am sure I am forgetting something.

The Academic Path

Something I think a lot about these days is academia. That is....leaving it, being done with school forever. At least for a while. Most people assume that if you get a Ph.D. you will become a professor. However, I knew from the moment I applied to doctoral programs that I wanted to expand my options and make myself more marketable for the kind of international job I dreamed of. But once I started, I quickly learned that I was being apprenticed for a research position. As I began to feel more and more like a fish out of water, I stumbled upon some things that helped me feel better: (1) the book Mama, PhD is an anthology of personal stories from women who have experienced academia and motherhood and the inherent tension between the two spheres; (2) the blog Leaving Academia is full of insights about the turbulent emotions doctoral students and faculty face when considering employment outside of the academy; (3) the fact that my husband is ABD and I feel such a kinship with a history Ph.D. studying to become a digital archivist.

So, as expected, at the Society of American Archivists meeting everyone wanted to know what I am up to, including the dean of my school and my advisor. I shrugged and told them what I have been saying for a year and then cursed the fact that I still do not know anything which makes me look so darn unprofessional. Oh well...*sigh*... at least I am learning that my self worth is not based on my education or job status!

Raising a child in the Foreign Service

I'm currently reading through the Department of State's Education Options for Foreign Service Family Members and thinking about all that is involved with raising "third culture kids." One of the motivating factors for joining the FS has been the opportunities my son will be exposed to, from learning new languages to making meaningful contacts around the world. My husband and I view this a bit differently due to our own backgrounds. As a naturalized citizen, I grew up far away from extended family, have lived in a variety of places within the U.S. and have worked abroad. Moving is not a big deal for me and being far from my parents and friends is a normal way of life. My husband, on the other hand, really cherishes his home town (it's where we met...at the public library) and the community he grew up in. He doesn't have any trouble answering the question "where are you from?" There are benefits and disadvantages to both lifestyles and lots of lessons to learn.

Of course, things will be more complicated as a tandem couple in the FS. Particularly since my position will be regional and will, most likely, require me to travel 60% of the time. There will be lots of things to iron out such as childcare, schooling, help at home. Perhaps I am an optimist, but I think we will make it work!

Resources

There are lots of books and online resources about the Foreign Service. I think the current two most comprehensive ones (besides the Department of State's website) are Peter Kennett's The DipNotes and Melissa VonHinken's Foreign Service Links. They mention books, other FS related blogs, Yahoo and Wiki groups, etc. There are also groups on Facebook like Foreign Service Specialists and Foreign Service Tandem Couples.

However, there is not all that much information about information resource officers. Besides the job posting, one has to search pretty hard to find out what a day in the life of an IRO is really like. Here are a handful of resources I have found on the Web. Please feel free to include additional resources in the comments.

• For information about the public events that IROs engage in (such as presentations and activities in embassy information resource centers), look at the websites of various embassies by going to: countryname.usembassy.gov
• Current IRO Wendy Simmons wrote an article tracing the recent history of embassy libraries. The citation is: Simmons, W. A. (2005). Three decades of challenges and changes in US embassy libraries around the world. Advances in Librarianship, 29, 99-132. An abridged version of Wendy's paper is available in PDF format here.
• Ruth Mara and Cynthia Borys wrote a brief article about IROs in the September 2003 issue of the Foreign Service Journal entitled IROs: Into the cyber age. It's available here.

Made it to the Foreign Service Links Page!

Good news this morning! My brand new blog is listed on Melissa's Foreign Service Links page so I'm hoping that brings more traffic my way and more opportunities to hear about other people's adventures! There's not much info about becoming an IRO out there so I hope this helps. Tomorrow I will post all of the resources I have found over the last year or so.

In other news, I got another job rejection letter yesterday. Ugh! I did not want the job (got my eyes on the prize), but I was advised not to "put all my eggs in one basket." Rejection, no matter what form it comes in, utterly stinks and believe me, I've had my fair share of it this year. Since I started applying for jobs long before I graduated (IRO was first!), I must have received at least a dozen rejections at this point. No worries, though. Last night I dreamt about embassies and re-reading the Realities of the Foreign Service series. It is in the stars!

I have other interests besides the Foreign Service, namely fitness

After that last long post, I thought I'd write about something lighter, something I spend a lot of time on these days. Fitness. And no, I am not some exercise guru or anything like that. I didn't even start exercising until I was 27. I was the kid in school that "ran" the mile in 13 minutes and spent the rest of the day with a bright red face. I hated exercise because it had no place in the goth/punk/straight edge/new wave scene that I longed to be part of.

Anyway, fast forward to the present. I like exercise because I love food. I exercise to eat. Yeah, I know about the health benefits, the endorphins, the energy boost - all good things. But the bottom line is that I love food, especially nibbly things like hummus and carrots, salsa and chips, Trader Joe's anything, nuts, fruit. So I've been working out a few days a week for the past five years - always in my home because I'm too lazy to go to the gym or perhaps too scared to (see this morning's article in the New York Times). With all the time on my hands, though, my workouts have intensified and now include cardio in addition to strength training. My favorites right now are Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones and Denise Austin: Boot Camp. The former is definitely more intense, but both are great calorie burners!

The Story

The Society of American Archivists conference is next week in DC. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it will be great to see my colleagues again and present my poster with so many of my students. On the other hand, I am DREADING the alumni reception. I know everyone will be asking me "so...what are you up to now?" It's been a few months since President Obama spoke at graduation. Truthfully? Not much. Waiting. Learning how to surrender.

Now for some reminiscing...
I passed my OA nearly one year ago on August 6, 2009. I flew down to DC alone and stayed in the State Plaza hotel. I was a nervous wreck, but very excited. Of course I couldn't sleep. I can never sleep before interviews - it didn't help that the clock radio went off at midnight and scared me half to death! That Thursday morning, I paced my hotel room for hours. My OA wasn't until noon so I had a lot of time to kill. I called my parents and tried to breathe deeply. Once I got to Annex 1 after a nutritious Starbuck's breakfast, I walked right up to an older gentleman and asked if he was there for the OA. Yes, but not for my specialty. We chatted and that took the edge off. It was only the two of us and we were both nervous. The actual OA was great. Although my name tag kept falling off and distracting me, I enjoyed the experience and genuinely liked the individuals interviewing me. When they called me back in, they were smiling and more relaxed. They told me I passed, gave me my score and paused. I implored myself to enjoy the moment because it felt so good. I had a feeling it wouldn't last. Within minutes, they began to outline the details of the conditional offer and what had felt joyful became somber. So many IFs and I thought I had already done most of the hard work. Little did I know that stamina was required by the truck loads!

On my way back to the hotel after being fingerprinted, I would not let myself bask in the excitement of passing. I kept replaying some of my responses in my head and reviewing every minute detail. This lasted a few days but finally subsided (thank God!) At the airport over a beer I opened the yellow envelope and began reading through all the forms. Yikes! I had to get started on the medical clearance and fast if we were going to submit everything within 30 days. We had plans to travel abroad to see my parents in just 10 days and I had to present a paper at the Society of American Archivists conference in Austin the following week.

Needless to say, I got started on the medical exams quickly. The day after my OA, back in Michigan with very little sleep, I dragged my unsuspecting toddler (sporting his brand new orange Washington, DC t-shirt) to his doctor to begin the medical exams. I must have seemed frazzled and they had plenty of questions. That day we also ran over to the hospital for blood work and a chest x-ray. Luckily my son charmed all the nurses and technicians and came home with an armful of stickers. That made me feel less guilty. My husband and I scrambled to get our tests completed over the next week and made it, although I scanned the final papers within hours of leaving for our international flight.

My security clearance process began sometime in early September. I received a few emails here and there with items I needed to clarify, but did not officially hear from my investigator until late in the month. His call surprised me because it was before 8am on a weekday. Yes, I was available to meet with him, gladly. How exciting! This was starting to feel more official. That weekend we went to Toronto for a mini vacation and while at the zoo, he called again. It made me feel important, but a little unnerved. The experience of interviewing with my investigator was very positive overall. However, for the two or so weeks that I was aware of it, I felt a little paranoid (like that 80s song about somebody's watching me) and wondered what the neighbors thought of all this. At school, people informed me that they had met my investigator, but did not go into details. It seemed like he had talked to everyone! After that, I didn't hear anything for a long time.

In November 2009, my husband took the OA and passed. It was a very exciting time, but I was so caught up in finalizing my dissertation that I did not think about it too much. His security clearance process began in December and we went through the whole thing again...now really, what must our neighbors think? I decided to look into taking the telephone language test for Romanian. I had let the ball drop on that one because I had sent an email query back in August and never heard back. When I sent another query late in the fall, I was told that I had been scheduled for some time in late August when I had been out of the country. It was news to me and I had to be very nice to the scheduler who thankfully let me reschedule the test for sometime in January.

In early January I took the language test and was sure that I had failed it because it ended abruptly. I gave a practice talk of my dissertation defense which bombed and left me terrified, but also helped me to nail it on the 25th. So glad to have that behind me, I found out in February that I did pass the language test!

More time passed and I did not hear anything. My colleagues asked me about my job search. I told them I was stuck somewhere in security clearance limbo. They laughed and secretly wondered about my past. In March while attending the Web Wise conference in Denver, I received a call that woke me up at 6:30 am. "Are you still interested in the Foreign Service position?" "Yes, yes, absolutely" was my groggy reply. I was informed that my security clearance process was nearing its end and I would hear from them shortly. This was the news I had been waiting for!

Except, months passed and I was still not granted clearance. My husband, on the other hand, breezed through the process in less than two months!

Finally, on June 22, 2010, I was placed on the register and was able to call for my ranking and information on future hiring. Although we celebrated this occasion and it felt real, we are still waiting and dreaming about our Foreign Service life. Meanwhile, our landlords want to know what the heck is up (are we leaving? When?); my son's home daycare owner would like to know how much longer he will be going there; I planned a crazy month-long trip to my parents for me and my son; and I have no idea what the future holds.

So that's the gist of it...

A sign...

Thursday I was feeling desperate. I must have applied to more than a dozen jobs in the last year. I kept my summer schedule open for interviews and nothing. I know the market's tough right now, but I thought I had amassed enough education and skills to beat it. My dream job was still keeping me waiting, but I thought I might as well do something else in the meantime. Nope. Just part-time work at the UM Library which is fun, but not exactly career-enhancing.

So Thursday night I prayed for a sign. I wanted to know for sure if this Foreign Service thing would become a reality. Although I am on the register there are still people ahead of me and who knows if they will get approval for the 5 IROs they'd like to train in October? I wanted a definitive sign and I wanted it on Friday by the end of the work day.

By the afternoon I was restless and called my human resources representative. Voicemail. I didn't leave a message. I sent him an email message. No response. I took a leisurely walk to the mailbox and in it was an envelope from the State Department. Nah, I'm not that lucky. It was just my old, expired passport and a copy of my marriage certificate they returned to me. So I went downstairs to put my documents away and decided to look through some old business cards I had collected over the years. As I looked through old IDs and library cards from my Fulbright year in Romania back in 2003, I found a State Department business card with the handwritten words "Information Resources Officer" and "Look up Foreign Service Specialist." That was my sign!

17 months and counting...

It's finally August and I am feeling inspired by all the informative and interesting Foreign Service blogs out there that I am just beginning to discover (thank you Melissa at V is for Vonhinken). I am hoping that this week will bring news of an invitation and closure to the uncertainty that has been haunting our lives for the past year and a half. I am getting tired of the IFs and the PERHAPs and the MAYBEs. I am getting tired of being unemployed and halfheartedly browsing job postings.

My husband and I have been dreaming of the Foreign Service for years. Although we tossed around the idea of applying in 2006, we officially started our journey in February 2009. He applied for the written test and I sent in my application for the Foreign Service Specialist Information Resource Officer position. It's now nearly a year and a half later with Oral Assessments long passed, security clearances granted, and no news.