Reflecting on FY12

The United States Government fiscal year 2012 ends on September 30; FY13 starts October 1.  Happy New Year! 

Now is a fine time to take a quick look back at the last 12 months of this Unimpossible Life. 

• FY12 opened with news that funding had been suspended for the project that paid my salary, triggering our premature departure from the truly welcoming city of Ramallah in Palestine.  During the month of October, in the weeks leading up to our departure, my darling wife and I squeezed the most out of the West Bank—visiting new towns, picking olives, and spending precious time with friends.

• By early November, after a quick stop in Texas for a windy but wonderful wedding, we were back in Baltimore.

•  Because my house was occupied by tenants, we found temporary Baltimore housing—first at a corporate apartment, then at the unoccupied house of a generous friend, and finally at a well located apartment that was never meant to be filled with boxes and furniture from a three-bedroom house.

• In March, we learned that our Unimpossible Family would grow by one unimpossibly cute and lovable little one that so far we’ve only seen via the imprecise lens of an ultrasound camera.

• In April, I received a job offer that would take our family overseas again.

• In July, I left my employer of more than 7 years to join a new but familiar employer.  After a one-week orientation and a 2-day safety and security seminar, I moved to Tunisia—the country that is widely credited as the spark of the Arab Spring and an example of a successful revolution.

• Through the month of August, I endured a hot and hungry Ramadan before welcoming cooler weather and, more importantly, a much appreciated visit by my darling wife.

• In September, after protesters and looters wreaked havoc at the US Embassy and American School in Tunis, I was forced to leave Tunisia, at least temporarily, while the security situation was reassessed.

So, the year started and ended with the unexpected departure from an overseas post.  In between, other than the highlights noted above, I went downhill skiing twice (once in Kyrgyzstan, once in Maryland), traveled internationally every month of the year except August, attended my first roller derby tournament, climbed the hills of Devil’s Lake, strolled on Caribbean and Mediterranean beaches, became an owner of the Green Bay Packers, and shared countless laughs with family and friends.

The tally for FY12 includes the following stats: I lived in 3 countries, housed in 5 different residences, and (helped) reproduce 1 new life. 

It’s been a tumultuous, exhilarating, uncertain year: full of promise, joy, and love for a beautiful belly.  I anticipate that FY13 will be tumultuous, exhilarating, and uncertain in ways I can’t yet fathom.