From the Ohio Country and Into the World

Every time I travel home, I realize that many people have absolutely no idea what diplomats do. Our jobs are not as concrete as building cars, working in a rolling mill plant, managing a bank, or nursing. My life and career are constantly changing. Career wise, the changes from administration to administration can be significant (you might have noticed some differences between the Obama and Trump administrations, for example) and my assignment changes every two to three years. On the life front, my wife and I (and for the past few years our daughter) have moved so many times, flying, packing, unpacking, etc. By my count, I have moved 19 times since February 5, 1997. New Middletown, OH; Lackland AFB, TX; Sheppard AFB, TX; RAF Fairford, UK; Camp Darby, Italy; Mountain Home AFB, ID; Lynn Haven, FL; Blacksburg, VA; College Park, MD; Greenbelt, MD; Maputo, Mozambique; Arlington, VA; Greenbelt, MD; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Falls Church, VA; Greenbelt, MD;   Kabul, Afghanistan; Arlington, V