
My Foreign Service Life
I've spent most of my career—that's 35 years—living and working overseas for the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service. My coworkers and myself were responsible for carrying out U.S. foreign policy and helping U.S. citizens abroad. With this podcast, I'm starting at the beginning - or really slightly before the beginning—to walk through what it was like being 27, with a small child, moving overseas to Africa for the first time. Join my son and I as in each episode, I read my story and we talk through the challenges overcome and the joys discovered in My Foreign Service Life.
Episodes
22 episodes
S2E8 Senegal: Goree Island and Some Sketchy Characters
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???
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20:59

S2E7 Senegal: Pregnant at Post
Christine talks about the hardship of fertility treatments, being pregnant at post, the speed at which gossip travels, and holidays overseas.
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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17:21

S2E6 Senegal: Dakar Vignettes
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
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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26:49

S2E5 Senegal: Dancing in Dakar
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.
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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24:46

S2E4 - Home Leave 1984
Christine talks about the difficulties of leaving family behind as well as mandatory home leave.
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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9:57

S2E3 - Bidding on Posts
Christine talks about how bidding works and the ins and outs of choosing a post.
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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30:21

S2E2 Zaire: Final Zaire Stories
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
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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31:40

S2E1 Zaire: R and R and Other Tidbits
In this episode Christine talks R & R, which is neither restful or relaxing, home leave and crying in super markets.
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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24:44

Season 2 Incoming!
Season 2 will be out Feb 17th! Watch the feed for more life in the Foreign Service.
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Season 2
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0:36

S1E12 Zaire: Ex-Pat Life in Kinshasa
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
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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21:22

S1E11 Zaire: Mountains of the Moon
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.
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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25:48

S1E10 Zaire: Money
In this episode we get a look at what living through an economic collapse looks like, and the connection between campaign finance and ambassadorship.
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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22:09

S1E9 Zaire: Little Letho's Birthday
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.
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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22:17

S1E8 Zaire: Onward and Westward
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 thin...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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32:58

S1E7 Burundi: My First Big Mistake
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.
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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16:35

S1E6 Burundi: A Wedding in Bujumbura
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.
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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15:11

S1E5 Burundi: One Weekend in Buj
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 pr...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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21:33

S1E4 Burundi: An Embarrassment of Riches
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 feeli...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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22:37

S1E3 Burundi: A Simple Misunderstanding
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!
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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20:33

S1E2 Burundi: What now?
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 a...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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21:47

S1E1 The Phone Call in Brooksville
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 lik...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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12:32
