My Foreign Service Life

We're not done yet, we just have run into the Not-Enough-Time problem! We'll be back later this year with more episodes!In the meantime, check out my new kids podcast, History Snacks.

In this episode, Christine talks about getting suspended, having a friend in the home office who knows your plight, and promotion strategies.

Christine talks about her first days in Cameroon, including short hand, serving coffee, security violations, a platoon of misbehaving Marines, and friends in the right places.

In this episode Christine talks about life in Cameroon, traveling with toddlers, secret societies of Ambassador's secretaries, and saying grace as white man.

In this episode Christine contemplates her next move after DC. Should she go back to Africa with an uncertain working environment, or try some place else? Childcare, spouse jobs, and familiarity all go into the decision.

Christine talks about getting an au pair in the US and Matt discusses his super normal plans for a commune.

Christine talks about the negotiations with Namibia, Angola, South Africa, and Cuba for the Tripartite Accords in 1988, and awards in the Foreign Service.

Christine talks about working in the Office of Southern African Affairs including treaty negotiations, typing up letters of sanction, straphangers, and leaving your only daughter's christening.

In this episode, Christine talks about joining the Bureau of African Affairs in DC and having her third (and best?) child.

Christine talks about working from Main State, finding childcare, the expense of being in the DMV and teases a future episode.

In this episode, Christine talks about transporting a fresh baby internationally. She discusses nursing, two hour lunches, domestic help, and Matthew's first trip to Africa. This is the end of Season 2! But Season 3 will start 8/4/25.

Christine talks about delivering a baby in a different decade from the last with an OBGYN who refused (??) to give any anesthetics (???). She also talks about baby supplies shipments to post, and "birth coaches".

In this episode, Christine discusses what it's like having a baby at post and med-evac rules past and present. She's joined by both her sons to talk about spousal employment at post and what it's like to be at a new school for 3 months. 

In this episode Christine experiences a tragedy even while enjoying a beloved West African Expat tradition.

Christine explains what the embassy can do for you, an American citizen, and we visit one of the hot spots in Senegal. We learn about some more sketchy characters hanging around ex-pat Africa in the 80's including... Nina Simone???

Christine talks about the hardship of fertility treatments, being pregnant at post, the speed at which gossip travels, and holidays overseas.

Christine and her two guest sons talk about everything that happened in Dakar including, poorly thought through pranks, the downfall of a former wrestler, the different forms of security clearances, and love in the Foreign Service

Christine is joined by both of her guest-sons in this episode to talk about their new post: Dakar, Senegal. They talk about security in a foreign country, the cat distribution system, and topless beaches.

Christine talks about the difficulties of leaving family behind as well as mandatory home leave.

Christine talks about how bidding works and the ins and outs of choosing a post.

Lots to cover here: confrontations with gendarmes, avoiding bribes, and economic collapse that leads to suitcases of money at dinner, secret codes over classified radio

In this episode Christine talks R & R, which is neither restful or relaxing, home leave and crying in super markets.

Season 2 will be out Feb 17th! Watch the feed for more life in the Foreign Service.

In this episode Christine talks about the party life of Kinshasa along with kids school, pets, and R&R.This is the final episode of season 1--watch this space for season 2 

Christine and Derald attempt to climb the Rwenzori Mountains with some friends and encounter small prop planes, malaria, altitude-induced euphoria, and the would-be final resting place of one Californian.

In this episode we get a look at what living through an economic collapse looks like, and the connection between campaign finance and ambassadorship.

In this episode, we learn the advantages of the French school system as young Gabe gets an invitation to the Dictator's house. Not knowing it was an invitation that should have been refused, Christine and family head over for a party.

In this episode, Christine and family move to a new post in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). She gets into how schools worked for diplomatic expats and the pain of moving throughout your childhood when email wasn't a thing.

Christine learns that living in a small community of expat means if you mess up, it affects everyone. And this was the 80's so a VCR was involved.

Though Christine absconded to Africa a single woman with a small child, she left Burundi married. She talks about the effort to navigate the Burundi matrimonial system as well as building a family as an ex-pat.

Spending the first weekend on post partying has it's consequences! Choices were made, bosses were encountered, and we all learn about Duty Officers.In this episode Christine has a wild weekend on her first weekend on post and was not prepared to get home.

Christine's first day in Bujumbura was hectic and filled with surprises, especially for someone not used to the bonuses of a hardship post.In this episode Christine discusses the perks of going to a small post, hardship posts, and feeling fancy.

Arriving at her first diplomatic post in Bujumbura, Burundi, Christine didn't know what to expect and it lead to some misunderstandings. Welcome to Africa!

Getting the call that you are going to a country you've never heard of is an adventure for sure. So is living in a world where you have to find an atlas to figure out where that country is. Oh, the 80's.In this episode Christine talks about the expectations of those in Brooksville, FL, upon the news of her imminent travel to Africa.

Despite thirteen months of waiting, weeks of invasive tests, and a hiring freeze, Christine finally gets the call she's been waiting for - to join the Foreign Service. But first she had to answer an important question: Where would she least like to go?She discusses her first assignment in the Foreign Service and how that process works, as well as how little she knew about Africa and the future.

Join Christine in the beginning of her journey as she moves to Bujumbura, Burundi at 27, single, with a young child. Learning the ropes of the Service, being on post, and navigating a new country.