Tandemness in Dakar and a Happy 4th!

Together in India on David's first assignment - Dec. 2000.

I have been in training for the past few weeks.  It's exhausting sitting all day and trying to absorb a ton of information.  The instructors liken it to trying to drink from a fire hose.  I am lucky because I have heard a lot of the information before.  I am part of what the State Department calls a "tandem couple."  Both my husband, David, and I are Foreign Service Officers and being part of a tandem impacts everything from assignments to allowances.

When people hear that I am part of a tandem couple they drop their heads to the side, furrow their brows and say something like, "Tandem.  That's going to be difficult."  I don't know what it's so hard for people to just be supportive.  I usually respond with, "Well, it won't be as difficult as the past eight years have been for my family because I have been resentful that I lost my career and bored as a trailing spouse."

Anyway, back to the good news.  While my peers are busy working on getting their first assignments, I have already found out where I will be posted.  We are able to be assigned to the US Embassy in Dakar, Senegal together.  I am lucky that my husband already had a job lined up for himself in Dakar for next summer and I am lucky that there was an opening for a first-tour officer.  We are very excited.

I want to get through this introductory training and get to post.  I know that I will leave before next summer and so I must start really appreciating things like celebrating the 4th of July in the United States.   This year I will be celebrating in our Nation's Capitol with Barry Manilow.   Classic.

I think 4th of July next year in West Africa will be very different. 

Together in Italy on David's last assignment before becoming part of a tandem couple - March 2008.