Cross Culture

I really enjoyed my job as a Diplomat/Foreign Service Officer...it's got to be one of the best jobs around...if you like good pay and travel! It's pretty much a cake job (what government job isn't? Ok, maybe being an IRS agent...) and the benefits are outstanding. Foreign Service Officers are a small group of folks (I think there's only about 8,000 of them) who live/work overseas at our Embassies world wide...we've got about 250 of them (I think), anywhere from Paris and London to the tiniest crap country in Africa. Where ever you get posted, though, the Embassy provides your house, electric, water, furniture, ships your car, and, some places that are considered "hardship", you get paid extra money for being there. The vacation schedule is fantastic. The only reason I quit was because, after 20 years of military life, I was having a hard time adapting to the Department of State culture. The military is around to fight wars; that's what we train for our entire careers, it's the reason we exist. The Department of State, on the other hand, likes to talk about problems, issues, in order to resolve them peacefully. Totally opposite of what I was use to. The military is very "get things done" orientated; the Department of State...well, not so much. My boss (bless her heart), told me I needed to "lower my standards"...??!! Hum....not going to happen. I believe that people raise up to your expectations...not that you should lower them to accommodate.