The Bid List is coming! The Bid List is coming!

The Bid List that we have been dreaming of, waiting for, and stressing over will finally be given to us tomorrow! That's right we the Gnome family will finally have a list of countries given to us and on that list will be our new home. It is so exciting to finally see the list and prioritize the countries based on our needs and wants. We are a pretty positive family so no matter what they throw at us we will make the best out of it. Additionally, I don't think we are going to be able to sleep and I am going to go crazy waiting for Papa Gnome to get home, this is so unfair… the waiting should be illegal.

However, getting the list is just the first part and soon after we agonize over how to rate the embassies and consulates, we get to wait on the second part of this process, which is the painful waiting until July 16 for Flag Day. On Flag Day, Papa Gnome will be presented with the flag of the country we will be calling home for the next 2 years. So if I thought waiting 24hrs for the list is bad, I can only think how insane I will be waiting for Flag Day in 4 weeks!

We are calling on all of our friends and family with ESP or second sight, good horoscopes or even a Magic 8 Ball… will you help us guess where Baby Gnome will call home next?

Leaving Orlando

The time has finally come for us to leave our wonderful home, family, and friends here in Orlando. However, it is time to update the world on the craziness that has been our life for the last ten days. It all started on last Monday when the movers showed up 7 hours late and only had one guy to pack all of our stuff. If that wasn’t bad enough we had two different shipments and they were putting the wrong shipment stickers on the wrong boxes. Little did the movers know that Auntie Beach Bunny Gnome (Papa Gnomes’ Sister) was on the scene and caught all of their mistakes. Additionally, if anyone would like to borrow her for their move it can arrange it for a small fee. When that was complete (almost midnight) the hotel couldn’t find our reservation and when they finally gave us a room there was someone else living in it. Can you say awkward? They gave us a room credit so it really wasn’t that bad. Doesn’t sound so bad of an adventure but we aren’t done yet. Thought it would be nice to treat the family to a great dinner to thank them for helping us out because they truly saved us and we owe them more than a dinner. Nothing says thank you like food poisoning so three out of the five us were flat on our back for days! After that life got a lot easier and we were able to spend time with our awesome family who were are going to miss so much. Also, the awesome Mommy Group took Mama Gnome out for an amazing scavenger hunt throughout EPCOT and brunch. We truly made some crazy memories and will never forget all the people who laughed at us as we did the scavenger hunt embarrassing tasks. Special thanks to our friends Pedro (Glynda), Paco (Jennifer), and Jesus (Michelle) for making it all happen.

We are going to miss everyone and thank you all for being a part of our lives you have really meant a lot to us.

What's next: A100, Bid Lists, Flag Day and Swearing In

We are now officially unemployed and homeless, and couldn't be happier about it! We will be staying in downtown Arlington in a great, furnished apartment provided by a partnership with the State Department. Mama Gnome can easily walk to anything she needs, and other spouses have already started making contact about making the transition easier for Baby Gnome as well. As for Papa Gnome and the Foreign Service, there are a few knowns about the unknowns...

We have an invite to meet the class and our sponsors the night before everything kicks off, which will be nice to get a first glance at everyone, then right into the process the next morning. Junior Officer Orientation for the Foreign Service is commonly referred to as A100, it is the name of the room it used to be held in. A100 is six weeks long and serves as an introduction to the profession of diplomacy, the work of the foreign affairs community, the Department of State, the mission of the Foreign Service and the role of the Foreign Service Officer. There are a few key events that really define the entire experience:

- Bid List

- Flag Day

- Swearing In

The Bid List: The Bid List is a list of all of the open assignments available to new officers for the next year, it is listed by location, they are unfortunately confidential and not to be released to the general public (sorry Granny Gnome) and the expectation is that Mama, Papa, and Baby Gnome dig in to each available post to develop a high, medium, or low classification on where we want to be assigned. It is given to the officers in the first week of A100 along with many, many classes on how the analyze, assess, and rank the list, and typically turned in by the end of the second week after a meeting with the Assignments Officer and the entire Gnome Family. This is a very stressful process and despite the limited spots and high demand, the decisions the Assignments Officers make are generally very well received despite our understanding that we are available for worldwide assignment... essentially, they don't have to make us happy but do a great job of doing so anyways :).

Flag Day: Flag Day is the day we find out where we will be going, the question on everyone's mind... especially ours. The event is held in an auditorium where family and friends attend, there are a few guest speakers, but everyone's attention is solely on the tables on the stage with a bunch of tiny world flags lined up. Each one of these flags represent an assignment, and as they start through the process they pick up the flag, call out the location (for example, Guangzhou, China), they add in a moments hesitation for dramatic effect while we hover on the edge of our seats, and call the name. If it is your name you walk up on stage, shake hands, take your flag, get your picture taken, and get a packet as you leave the stage. While knowing your location is nice, since it will be where the Gnomes will be living for the next 2 years, the packet gives the details. What job will I be doing? What language will I be learning if any and how long will I be in DC learning it? What is our report date to our next location? All the questions will finally be answered... just writing this has me nervous and excited all over again!

Swearing In: The final event of A100, and although the swearing in is actually done on the very first day (so we can get paid, etc...), this is a very formal event held at the Main State Department and includes lots of high brass, and has included the Secretary of State herself when available. With orders in hand the true adventure kicks off after this!