It's bidding time again.
In the Foreign Service we are all worldwide available: we go where we are told according to the needs of the service at the time. Not every post abroad is in the most ideal of circumstances. No place, anywhere, is perfect. But, we do get to list our preferences, to say where we are drawn to and to pitch where we'd like to go. If you're lucky, and the needs of the service match, you might get to go somewhere high on your list. This is where the excitement of the Bid List begins. It opens your mind up to a whole new world, imagining yourself in multiple places scattered across the globe.
Bidding time is that exciting period in the Foreign Service tour abroad where you receive a list of upcoming possibilities--the opportunity for a million new adventures. Some posts are in tropical, steamy climates while others are frigidly cold. Some are in danger zones, others are in posh tourist destinations. Some posts would fulfill lifelong dreams, others seem like a bore.
You begin to do research on places that few of your friends and family have visited, let alone heard of... While some cities have a bling and surrounding glamour at the mere mention of their name, others are wrought with outsider responses that ask, "Where is that on the map? Is it safe? What is its history? Would I be willing to visit?" People outside of a traveling lifestyle are often nervous about the unknown. The unfamiliar appears fear-inducing. Cities across the globe are often just dots on a map until you hear about someone, or know someone, who is living there. Suddenly the news for that country becomes a direct listing on your internet feed; your phone app lets you know its weather and time; you begin to worry when you hear that an earthquake is in the region. Family members wrack their minds and wring their hands over possibilities for their loved ones in countries their neighbor down the street once said was a dangerous (or frightful) place.
From my experience, choosing your next destination all comes down to perspective. I ask myself, "What do you hope to achieve in the next few years? Where can you go that will make the most positive impact? Which places excite you the most? Which places are you most afraid to be posted at and why?" I like to know not just what compels me, but why I am compelled. I ask myself the tough questions, and I don't shy away from examining why one place is more appealing or personally inviting than another. I think my preference for particular posts is ultimately an expression of self-identity, of where I want to go and what I want to do over the next few years. I do not take the opportunity lightly.
At times, yes, coming to a decision can be nerve-wracking. You are, after all, bidding on posts in regions you may have never traveled to, in cities you've never seen. You rely on second-hand knowledge from the people who have gone before you; you read and research and create cards that weigh the ups and downs of each place according to individual needs.
You are not going on vacation or a temporary visit--you are bidding on your future. This is where you will live, connect, eat, laugh, cry, walk, and share memories for the next few years. You don't want to make a mistake, but then, you also don't want to pick a post just because it's easy, known, or doable. Taking the easy route is rarely my style. Why go somewhere that is exactly like my home country living abroad? I am looking to be changed, to interact culturally, to learn. I don't want to merely create a little America in my new place. I look to be immersed within community; to understand social nuances; to hear and see the scars that mar the landscape, and listen to the tears that tell their stories.
I look for a challenge, a place that will inspire, a city that will invite me to grow, stretch and transform. Two to four years is a long time to be in a new place. Adjustment takes time. Language takes effort. Cultural norms take practice, and new friendships take courage to build. You have to trust in a new place and people, and hope that they likewise trust in you.
Not to say that all posts aren't great in their own ways--it's just that personal preferences push you towards one region or another, certain types of food or weather, a linguistic challenge...whatever is your vision of a hellish post or a fabulous post, the good news is that someone else wants to go where you wouldn't dream. That's the beauty of the Foreign Service, and the adventurous spirit of Foreign Service employees: everyone has their own vision for what the best place is, or where their next post can be, because we all come from different backgrounds and experiences.
Bidding Time is that liminal, transitory phase where you don't know where you are going next, but you've narrowed it down to your top 15 out of 50, or 8 out of 30, or whatever number of posts you learn are currently available.
With our bid list submitted, now we're in the waiting zone: we will know our future in 2 to 4 weeks.
In the Foreign Service we are all worldwide available: we go where we are told according to the needs of the service at the time. Not every post abroad is in the most ideal of circumstances. No place, anywhere, is perfect. But, we do get to list our preferences, to say where we are drawn to and to pitch where we'd like to go. If you're lucky, and the needs of the service match, you might get to go somewhere high on your list. This is where the excitement of the Bid List begins. It opens your mind up to a whole new world, imagining yourself in multiple places scattered across the globe.
Bidding time is that exciting period in the Foreign Service tour abroad where you receive a list of upcoming possibilities--the opportunity for a million new adventures. Some posts are in tropical, steamy climates while others are frigidly cold. Some are in danger zones, others are in posh tourist destinations. Some posts would fulfill lifelong dreams, others seem like a bore.
You begin to do research on places that few of your friends and family have visited, let alone heard of... While some cities have a bling and surrounding glamour at the mere mention of their name, others are wrought with outsider responses that ask, "Where is that on the map? Is it safe? What is its history? Would I be willing to visit?" People outside of a traveling lifestyle are often nervous about the unknown. The unfamiliar appears fear-inducing. Cities across the globe are often just dots on a map until you hear about someone, or know someone, who is living there. Suddenly the news for that country becomes a direct listing on your internet feed; your phone app lets you know its weather and time; you begin to worry when you hear that an earthquake is in the region. Family members wrack their minds and wring their hands over possibilities for their loved ones in countries their neighbor down the street once said was a dangerous (or frightful) place.
From my experience, choosing your next destination all comes down to perspective. I ask myself, "What do you hope to achieve in the next few years? Where can you go that will make the most positive impact? Which places excite you the most? Which places are you most afraid to be posted at and why?" I like to know not just what compels me, but why I am compelled. I ask myself the tough questions, and I don't shy away from examining why one place is more appealing or personally inviting than another. I think my preference for particular posts is ultimately an expression of self-identity, of where I want to go and what I want to do over the next few years. I do not take the opportunity lightly.
At times, yes, coming to a decision can be nerve-wracking. You are, after all, bidding on posts in regions you may have never traveled to, in cities you've never seen. You rely on second-hand knowledge from the people who have gone before you; you read and research and create cards that weigh the ups and downs of each place according to individual needs.
You are not going on vacation or a temporary visit--you are bidding on your future. This is where you will live, connect, eat, laugh, cry, walk, and share memories for the next few years. You don't want to make a mistake, but then, you also don't want to pick a post just because it's easy, known, or doable. Taking the easy route is rarely my style. Why go somewhere that is exactly like my home country living abroad? I am looking to be changed, to interact culturally, to learn. I don't want to merely create a little America in my new place. I look to be immersed within community; to understand social nuances; to hear and see the scars that mar the landscape, and listen to the tears that tell their stories.
I look for a challenge, a place that will inspire, a city that will invite me to grow, stretch and transform. Two to four years is a long time to be in a new place. Adjustment takes time. Language takes effort. Cultural norms take practice, and new friendships take courage to build. You have to trust in a new place and people, and hope that they likewise trust in you.
Not to say that all posts aren't great in their own ways--it's just that personal preferences push you towards one region or another, certain types of food or weather, a linguistic challenge...whatever is your vision of a hellish post or a fabulous post, the good news is that someone else wants to go where you wouldn't dream. That's the beauty of the Foreign Service, and the adventurous spirit of Foreign Service employees: everyone has their own vision for what the best place is, or where their next post can be, because we all come from different backgrounds and experiences.
Bidding Time is that liminal, transitory phase where you don't know where you are going next, but you've narrowed it down to your top 15 out of 50, or 8 out of 30, or whatever number of posts you learn are currently available.
With our bid list submitted, now we're in the waiting zone: we will know our future in 2 to 4 weeks.
