Reply to Not sure I can handle another three years of husband's career

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Oh please, PP. I'm a FSO and different strokes for different folks. I know folks who LOVE to stay in Africa while others opt to stay primarily in EUR. Hardship posts are rough if you're the type like me who love the city life, public transportation, Western convenience, etc. I'm in a hardship post now and while I love it, I had to work hard to make it work. I decided that I'm done with anymore posts requiring that my family take malaria pills or where kidnappings of Americans are common or weekend trips can be cancelled because of political unrest. Money isn't as important to everyone as it is to you. Being unhappy for three years is a HUGE cost to pay. You don't get that time back.

Get off your high horse.[/quote]

FSO here. I can't stand the people who join the FS and then bend the rules to: 
1. Do one overseas assignment then spend 8 years in DC and then another overseas assignment and another 8 years in DC.  If you want to stay in DC, why join the FS? 
2. Not fully understand and accept the concept of "worldwide availability."
3. Find ways to avoid "fair share" bidding or
4. Use some excuse, education, health, etc. to only get assigned to developed country posts snd then complain about limited promotion.  Everyone who is FS can do hardship postings.  You might have to take an unaccompanied assignment or two, put your kids in boarding school, etc.

FS is not a career for everyone.  If you cannot or will not accept "worldwide availability" and "needs of the service," then perhaps you need another career choice.[/quote]

Oh please. We're told that and then you see colleagues never step foot outside of Europe and still move up the ladder. Meanwhile, I have colleagues here who get passed over for everything they apply for after being told this particular "hardship" would enable them to get a cushier spot next. I personally have little desire to do EUR and would prefer assignments in South America and I make no apologies about it. I value my life within AND outside of the FS. If I died tomorrow, they'd fill my seat just as fast. I love my job, but if my family wasn't happy, they take precedence because that is my legacy and what I value most. If you're career comes first, then more power to you. I was close to sending my little girl back to the States because the schools here suck so terribly. We fortunately found another option, by the grace of God. My post is largely unaccompanied, because it's a long way from being family friendly. I've seen teenagers absolutely miserable and struggling in school, kids dealing with racial slurs and comments from educators at school, etc. I was so excited recently because a family with kids my child's age moved here only to find out this week that the spouse and kids (good-natured, friendly people) have left post because of the current conditions. It can't always just be that people are unappreciative. Some places are just not family friendly and FSOs should absolutely factor in quality of life if their families are important to them. If living apart from your family for years at a time works for you, have at it. Again, I love where we live now, but it took a lot of work and I would not take a similar assignment again and do this to my family again.

OP has taken one for the team more than once. I really hope that her spouse[/quote]

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