Sorry I kept you in suspense, busy times with the holidays and all. Diplowife got her next assignment a couple months ago: we’re going to Brussels! It was our top choice, head and shoulders above the other Management posts (especially Port Moresby, shudder). It features our favorite kind of climate (wet, cool, grey), everybody speaks English and it’s a short train ride to most of Western Europe. I could go on and on about this wonderful news, but I’d feel like I’m bragging. Suffice it to say, this is as close to an ideal post that I can imagine.
But aside from the climate, culture and food, the subtler aspect to Brussels that agrees with me is the fact that Brussels is a rare “three mission” post. That means there’s the US Embassy to Belgium, the EU mission, and our mission to NATO. So the expat community will be huge, compared to Shenyang. So I may actually be able to socialize with other diplo-husbands! Do others exist? I’m skeptical.
Plus, the work situation will be far better in Brussels. Belgium has a bilateral agreement for diplomatic spouses (unlike China), so I’ll be able to work on the local economy. And the three missions all have jobs I can apply for. IT jobs, even. So, to prepare for finding work in Brussels, I’ve applied for work here in Shenyang, so I can get a security clearance (see: future blog post). Hopefully I’ll have a clearance by the time we leave Shenyang, which may make it easier to find work in Brussels.
Now comes the hard part: spending another year plus in Shenyang, while dreaming of Brussels.
I'm here for the cookies 