New Nerdly Tools

Shining moment of my day: Today I learned that there is a whole suite of online tools that I am not only *permitted* but *encouraged* to use for collaboration with my inter-agency colleagues while in Iraq. Blogs! Wikis! Messenger! Shared Docs! My heart is a-flutter! Reduced access to public social media may not be the end of the world after all....

Starting to make the goodbye rounds

I've been watching my colleagues make their goodbye rounds and now I'm starting to see how it feels. Kinda weird when they insist on paying and say it will be my turn only when I'm back safely. Hmmmm.

Training today made me so sad about the last several decades leading up to where we are now with Iraq. That said, our teacher emphasized that while we probably won't be turning the wheels of history ourselves, we may actually have a chance or two to hear them turning, and maybe even to brush up close or lean against them and nudge them just a little. And that is what gives me hope.

T Minus One Month

Today is April 11. One month till I depart for Iraq. The to-do list is growing rather than shrinking. At least every day brings me closer to E's arrival there as well. Here's to 30 more days together in DC then the countdown to togetherness once again overseas.