Cool job perks: Diplomatic immunity and mini golf

Hopefully, I'll only use the latter, but the former could help in a pinch.

After leaving the news/sports industry for Peace Corps in late 2007 and taking a long path to gainful employment that took me to a ranch in Wyoming, back to Morocco, through Jakarta and Minot, I finally have A Real Job.

Quite honestly, it's pretty much a flunkie position -- administrative assistant. However, it's an administrative assistant in the foreign service, so I'm working for Uncle Sam now. Job security! And aside from the salary (which, while at the bottom of the foreign service food chain, is more than I've seen in awhile), the benefits include paid housing and an R&R plane ticket to Sydney a year from now.

The latter is because I'll be posted to a hardship post, but since my RV in Minot didn't have running water and my place in Morocco had black mold and mice, I feel like I've hit the jackpot. My housing this post includes floor-to-ceiling windows, a gym, an indoor pool and a mini golf course.

I've worked my ass off to get this position, originally applying in 2010. I was asked to interview about two weeks after I got to Jakarta, so I deferred a year. A year later, I passed, went through agonizing clearances and then, after I finally got cleared, decided to extend my AmeriCorps program in Minot for several more months to help finish the flood recovery project I was doing.

Skipping ahead through some other unexpected stuff, I got an offer and started training right after Labor Day -- six years after I quit journalism and headed to Morocco. Tomorrow, I ship out to my first post for two years. I won't post the city to a public site, but a small clue is that it's a consulate, not an embassy.

I have a real paycheck for the first time in eons and it's been nice, although the only splurge I've made for me is a Slingbox. I will not miss the ACC championship game or bowl games this year. (I went nuts doing Toys for Tots shopping, though.)

I've no idea, really, how I will like this job but I'm hoping to make it last. The cool part for me is I will be able to buy credit for my 24 months of Peace Corps and 15 months of AmeriCorps service, so I'm already at the three-year federal level and getting the second tier of vacation time.

It finally paid off.

 

Love seeing efforts like yours pay off. Good for you.

 

Good for you! You deserve good things.

 

Mazel

 

Excellent news!

 

Thanks so much! I tell you, I still half expect someone to come up and tap me on the shoulder and say, "Um, we've reconsidered and decided you're really not qualified."

But so far, so good! I'm off to bed now. I have a 24-hour travel day ahead of me tomorrow.

 

I assume this means you took and passed the foreign service exam, which is no simple feat.

Congrats, KJIM. Good luck in your new career.

 

Well done and good luck!

 

Congratulations! Good luck and safe travels.

 

That is very cool, KJIM. Congrats.

 

That's terrific for you!

Congrats. You certainly deserve this.

 

Congrats!!