Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

What a day! I can't believe we got the DR. We are overjoyed!

Today was totally intense. Around 3:15pm we were all in our seats, waiting anxiously, laughing nervously, learning how to use the Flag Day Bingo cards that a classmate had kindly created for us. I'm so glad I was sitting next to my classmate L. A few minutes later, we realized there was no way we could follow along with the bid list, Bingo, or anything else- all I could stand to do was watch and clap! It moved very quickly. The assignments started out with a bang when our classmate S was assigned to a Pol/Con rotation in Bangkok- a coveted bid for many members of our class! Her shocked reaction was priceless.

It moved quickly for me, although my family tells me I was in the last third to be called. Every time India popped up on the list, I held my breath. We bid 6 India posts high, so I thought there was a good chance we might go there (but I was hoping for certain posts more than others). Same for Mexico- in this case, we had only bid Guadalajara high, so I was nervous about the other posts.

Many of my classmates received posts that they are thrilled with- it seems like the CDOs really worked hard to accommodate pregnancies, spousal work/school issues, and even new love (well, maybe it wasn't intentional, but it sure is awesome). It was wonderful to see people get the posts they had been dreaming of.

Finally, my name was called for the DR! What a great feeling! I jumped up to get my flag and waved it joyfully at my husband and parents sitting in the back.

I should probably share why we are so excited about this post. First, I lived there about 12 (ouch) years ago for 6 mos on a short-term Peace Corps assignment. I fell in love with the country's beauty and diversity, the friendly people, the delicious food, and the bachata music. I know that Santo Domingo has its drawbacks, and I will need to learn what they are. I know it has changed since I was there. But in a few hours, you can travel to a gorgeous beach or head to the mountains for a refreshing change of climate. The warmth of the people is a big factor for me. And dancing bachata and merengue for hours pretty much equals the perfect night for me. I've already taught my husband to dance, but we'll have to start practicing again. I'm also relieved to have a first post that is so close and familiar to the US. I hope we'll have lots of visitors.

I'm also happy that we are leaving somewhat late. A lot of my classmates will ship out quickly. I really wanted to give the kids some time between moves, some time with their grandparents, and a chance to celebrate their birthdays here. In 2012, we will have Dominican blowouts complete with arroz con habichuelas and bachata music, but this year, we'll celebrate stateside.

So this is what I know: We leave in early August. I start Spanish on Monday, with quite a few of my classmates, so I wonder if we'll have more than 1 class. I'll take my Consular General (ConGen) class last.

A terrific guy from my class was also assigned to the DR, and tonight I chatted with a really friendly member of the 156th who heads there in June. According to my paperwork, the DR is one of the busiest consular sections in the world, so it sounds like there will be many people to get to know and lots of work to keep us busy.

I'm also delighted to overlap for a few months with my new friend at the blog For Lack of Tacos , who has been advising me over the last year about the FS with young kids. Hopefully I won't drive her crazy with my newbie questions!

Thank you everyone near and far for the good wishes!! We look forward to seeing family and friends in the DR!

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