Almost there

My favorite Disney Princess is Jasmine, from “The Princess and the Frog.” Figures, the first Disney princess I can remotely relate to is a frog. Anyway, the big song in it is called “Almost There.”

And that’s where I am this week – almost home to Florida. I realized today as I checked out of one hotel and headed to another: in a week, I’ll be back in Havana!

But this week is going to be a long one, though. I’m at a class, and it’s very hands-on. It’s not in DC, or even Arlington, where the Foreign Service “college” is. It’s somewhere else, although, quite honestly, I’m not entirely sure where. I met a shuttle at 4 p.m. and they drove me, along with a bunch of other people I supposed I’ll be getting close to these next five days. The class is sort of like defensive drills and such. It’s now a required class for all beginners. It wasn’t when I came in but everyone will be getting it soon, so I figured I might as well go for it now.

It’s sort of famous throughout Foreign Service and I’ve heard a lot about it, but this’ll be my first shot at it. I read over the agenda for my group and it sounds like of high adrenaline. Tomorrow I do the self-defense.

So now I am at a venue change, which means new restaurants within walking distance. This place is a bit more rural, so instead of Cosi, Potbelly’s and Roti I have a Golden Corral (yuk!) and a Cracker Barrel (yum!). Guess which one I did this evening? Hint: the Sunday special was enough to last me until Monday. I just can’t do American portions anymore.

The class should prove to me more exciting, though hopefully less directly applicable, than last week’s Microsoft Outlook class. I was glad to get that training – hope I learn the new tricks I learned – but it was a bit dull. It was really weird leaving the campus, though, knowing I won’t be back for at least two years.

Coincidentally, in the tiny world that is Foreign Service, I ran pretty much smack dab into my old boss, whose office is NOT on the little campus. He had no idea I was there. I had several appointments in his building last week, but when I went to email him to set an appointment, I got a little flag that said he was out of the office until last week, so I didn’t bother, as I wasn’t going near that building this week. So he had no way to know I was there, and I had no reason to suspect he’d be where I was.

There have been lots of reunions while here, but since I was only at the campus for two weeks and at the headquarters three days, I couldn’t meet up with everyone. Now I look forward to reunions in Florida. I’m almost there.