rafting on the naretva river | herzegovina

There's one thing that any person interested in a career in the Foreign Service will hear often and from just about every officer they meet: It's not just a job; it's a lifestyle.

When I was a kid, I asked my mom if she dreamed of being an accountant when she was my age. Was it her dream job? She kind of laughed and said no. That she had a good job that she enjoyed doing that earned her enough money to make the best living she could for us. And that was enough. But I didn't like that answer. I wanted a career that I would be passionate about. I looked at careers like I did love at that age - I figured there was one perfect job for everyone. That it was just meant to be and you'd know when you know.

I remember reading a magazine in high school - or college, maybe. I paged through what I think was a celebrity interview. The A-lister said that above all else, everyone should find what they were born to do and pursue it with all they have. It doesn't sound like very special advice, but I lingered on those words, and I've thought of them often in the years since. What was I born to do? I've searched for that answer. Even if we're not celebrities or known around the world for being the very best at something - I do believe that we're all born to do something, that we have something unique to give.

I've learned a lot this summer. I've learned about what the day-to-day job is like for a Foreign Service Officer. I've learned about Embassy life - how you should always make friends with your IT officers and with the kitchen staff. I've learned that the people you work with probably matter far more than where you're posted. I've learned that "hierarchy" and "bureaucracy" are two of the most defining - and reviled - words of this industry. I've learned that getting out of the office makes the work we do at the computer infinitely stronger and more valuable. I've learned that no matter what happens in the office, everyone - for the most part - is there for each other outside of it.

But mostly, I've learned that I was born to be a Foreign Service Officer. Writing it feels self-indulgent, but it's a feeling that I don't ever want to shake. I love doing this work. I love getting up every day and going to the office. I love being busy. I love learning about a country - the ins and outs of its political system and its history, its breathtaking beauty and it's cringe-worthy flaws. I love being a part of something bigger than I am, of serving my country, of improving diplomatic relations, of interacting with local people in cultures that are brand new to me.

I've only been doing this for two and half months, and I won't be an official officer for another year. I have so, so much more to learn. But that piece of advice that everyone gives - I get it. It isn't just a job. It is a lifestyle. To leave your home and family and friends behind. To miss birthdays and funerals and weddings and births and so many big life events back in the States. To move every 2-3 years. To struggle through learning new languages and adapting to foreign cultures. It's a sacrifice and a privilege and most certainly a lifestyle. It's a lifestyle that fills me up, that brings out my best self, that allows me to revel in my thirst for life and adventure and new experiences. It's a job that I'm passionate about in part because it's a lifestyle I love.

Rafting on the Naretva River a few weeks ago with colleagues and friends, I found myself thinking over and over, "This life is pretty damn good."