For Foreign Service families, to be unsettled is normal. The thrill of an unknown, future adventure prevails and mitigates any discontent with the present. This is how we cope. We survive, even thrive, because we look forward. We are many, but we are few. A fraction of a country's population that has chosen what can only be described as an awkward existence. We choose to jump in, family members in tow, without knowing what is on the other side. We show up at each new post and, like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that is placed in wrong spot, not where it ought to be but blending in enough, we fit in until we are uprooted again. We do not have a road map, and retirement is the only final destination. We experience the world in all its grit and glory and our lives are enriched. Friends and relatives back home imagine that we are living their wildest dreams; wandering across the globe, living in fabulous homes, and meeting the world's rich and famous. We cannot deny our glamo...
Our family of five has made the D.C. area home after several years of living overseas. We have come from a rent free, four bedroom, townhouse to a 1070 sq. ft. two bedroom apartment. We have lost our overseas allowances and one job. Remaining debt free is our top priority so we are figuring out how to afford to live here. Follow us as we de-clutter and penny pinch on our journey to a simpler life.