Moving to DC: Logistically Speaking

Well, it has been about 2 weeks since we found out how our world travels would continue (interestingly enough, not on a shoestring this time), and coincidentally, also 2 weeks since our last post. Since then, we have received a couple of emails from USAID about the move, security, and what not. Naturally, we have been trying to be patient (its the government anyway), and with every little bit of information, we seem to progress ever forward with the planning.

On the housing front, with our apartment in Houston being an Archstone Community (a large corporation), we anticipated trying to locate another Archstone in the DC metro area to transfer our lease to save us money not having to break it. Well, after wading through the multitude of very expensive apartments in the area, we settled on an Archstone in Alexandria, VA. We thought it had the best combination of proximity and price, so it seemed like a winner. Although they couldn't give us a "diplomatic clause" to put into our lease document, if we give them at least 60 days and the apartment is rented out in that time-frame, we wouldn't have to pay anything to break the lease. Originally, we were just going to get a 2bed 1 bath, but a buddy of mine from the USAID, who found out he was going to be in the same training class, expressed interest in sharing a place to save money - so, we upgraded to a whopping 1500 square foot, 2bed 2 bath in the same complex. Because we are, in effect, splitting the rent, Brooke and I are saving over 300 bucks a month over living alone. Not bad at all. As an aside, since our new roommate doesn't have any furniture - because he only recently got out of Peace Corps and was living with his mother - I imagine that our apartment will be a pretty spartan to say the least.

So, it all works out. We save money and I have someone with which to commute into DC. Alexandria is supposed to be nice. It has its own historic downtown area and it relatively safe. We move in on September 5th, but who know when our furniture will be there. At least we plan to drive, so we should be able to load the bare essentials into the Subaru, including a air mattress, the computer, and the Coonhound.

Really, Brooke won't be moving up with me right away. We have to make the paychecks meet and she had to give her school the proper notice. I figure that we will ride to DC together the first weekend of September, then she'll fly back, only to fly to DC again on, maybe, the 17th. We have a wedding to attend in Asheville, NC on Friday and Saturday that same weekend, and thus, her coming on the 17th enables us to make the 7 hour trip together. Apparently, I have some "administrative" day off that Friday which will allow us to leave early on the 18th.

As I have mentioned, I start training on the 14th. I did find out that they will be swearing me in as a Foreign Service Officer the very first day, which was a surprise. I guess, since we will be going over the benefits package and other administrative mumbo-jumbo, the government wants you to be legitimatized first. Although Brooke won't be there to see me sworn in, fortuitously, Erin, Gray, and Hayden will be in DC from the 11th until the 15th. I spoke to Erin and she told me that they would go to the ceremony. It's cool that I will have family there for this big moment. Ironically, its my family from Houston...the place we are leaving and the place Brooke will be the day I swear in. Weird. Lastly, it should be known that USAID still will hold a graduation for us five weeks later in which family and friends are also invited, but that is more ceremonial. That still will be fun, so if anyone wants to go...

So, what will Brooke do while she is in DC? Currently, she is scouring the surrounding school districts for work. With her track record of finding jobs, I don't think she will have a problem. It will be nice to have two full incomes for a change. We won't know what to do with all that money.

In the next couple of days we should find out when the movers are coming. We'll keep you posted.