Exhaustion

So, I admit I've been derelict in keeping up with this blog, but to be fair I have been exceptionally busy.  Since my last post in December, I got married, finished my tour in Caracas, battled to be reassigned to the same continent as my wife, took home leave, and am now in DC prepping to depart to Buenos Aires next week.

To begin.  Shannon and I got married on January, 21 2012 at the Washington DC temple, which was designed by my grandfather back in the 70's.  I flew up from Caracas with my parents who came down to visit the week before.  We had about 40 people at the ceremony, after which we took pictures.  The weather predicted rain, but fortunately, all we got was a dusting of snow the night before then the storm from moved around the DC area.  The pictures turned out great.  That evening, we had a reception attended by about 100 people at the Woodend Mansion on the grounds of the Audubon Society.

After a brief honeymoon to NYC, I flew back to Caracas and Shannon went back to DC for a three month separation, during which we tried to get our follow on assignments changed.  Shannon was assigned to go to Vienna and was in German training, and I was slotted to go to Buenos Aires.  We were confident out assignments would be changed, but when we asked, we were told no, and that we would be expected to serve three years apart on different continents.  After a lost appeal, much lobbying, and starting the resignation process, miraculously a job opened up in Buenos Aires for Shannon.  There is quite a bit more to that story, but it will have to stay off line for now.  Nonetheless, after much heartache and stress, everything finally worked out.

Meanwhile, I finished up my Political assignment and packed out of Caracas. The whole process took  about a month.  I also sold my car to a local Venezuelan, as well as much of my electronics, including my Mac and my flatscreen TV.  On April 6, I left Caracas on an early morning flight and that evening was reunited with my bride.

During my 5 week home leave, (Shannon took some additional home leave as well as annual leave) we traveled to Phoenix to visit some friends and family, traveled to Seattle to attend the annual Tulip Festival, went back to DC and bought a new truck, a 2011 Rav 4 Ltd, flew to Salt Lake for our West Coast wedding reception generously arranged by my brother and sister in law as well as my lovely adoring parents, went back down to Arizona, came back to DC to buy consumables and other supplies to take to DC, bought a new mattress, went to NYC to see the Broadway production of Evita starring Ricky Martin, then ended back in DC for a week of training at FSI.  We had an incredible time, but it was EXHAUSTING!!! I think we were over ambitious.  Nevertheless, I got elite status on Delta after all of the flights.

We're in our final week before departing to BA and we have lots of small tasks left before departure.  Fortunately, we've both done this before and are well prepared to handle everything.  That's not to say the stress of another international move isn't crushing down on us with its  full weight.  If this marriage can endure everything we've been through over the last few months, I think it can survive anything!

M