Home!

Wow! After two years in Pakistan, we are finished with our tour and are back in America!

It’s still hard to believe that we are sitting in Rosslyn right now. The trip home was grueling but we made it! I think door-to-door the whole trip was a bit more than 24 hours. We flew from Islamabad to Istanbul to Munich to DC – the route was determined by the airline that would allow Flavia to fly in cabin with us. She did great but was happy to get out of her little carrier by the time we got home.

The trip was pretty stressful. In Islamabad, as we were exiting immigration, they asked for Flavia’s paperwork. Long story short, it was nowhere to be found! After about an hour of searching our bags, retracing steps, and asking the ticket counter (who had used it during check-in), we gave up. We managed to talk our way past airport authorities and I emailed the vet to see if he could email me copies, in case Istanbul, Munich, or the U.S. asked for it. After a little while of sitting in the lounge, one of the airline employees found it – it had fallen down between the ticket counters! (And, of course, after all of the drama, no one else looked twice at the cat or asked for the paperwork!)

The flight from Islamabad was threes hours late leaving, then both in Istanbul and Munich, we literally had to run to catch both flights – glad I’ve been going to the gym! My handbag, Flavie in her Sherpa carrier, and a roll-a-board were all bouncing behind me as we wove our way through the hoards of people, with lots of loud “Excuse me’s” along the way. After the ticket agent in Istanbul told us to “hurry, hurry,” we got to the gate only to find a roomful of bored travelers and no airplane. A gate change and an hour later, we boarded…which meant another sprint in Munich, where they really did hold the plane for us and fourteen other people. I’m convinced more than ever that air travel is not for the weak in spirit!

We were gleeful when we arrived at Dulles, amazed that this bone-jarring trip was finally over (did I mention that no cats are allowed in business class? Yep, economy class for us this go-’round, although I euphemistically tried to convince John that it’s first class for cats…). We tra-la-la’d our way through immigration, bypassing the hoards of people with our smarty-pants Global Entry card. Our sense of triumph faded as we watched the conveyor belt at baggage claim stop with a few orphaned bags, none of which were ours. There’s nothing sadder than the realization that your bags just aren’t there.

So here we are in Rosslyn with uninterrupted electricity and water that you can drink right out of the tap! It’s great, even if I only have the clothes I flew in!

Our last week in Islamabad was really a blur, and since my day- timer is in my lost luggage, I have no references. We spent a little more quality time with rug salesmen and bought three more rugs, and we had our lovely rosewood bar delivered on Thursday – just in time for the movers to come load up the last lift van! Here’s a photo of the bar, both folded up and unfolded:

Rosewood Bar

Rosewood Bar

DSC_2092

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Our A-100 friend Rob Anderson and his wife Christel gave us a great bottle of the Widow champagne when they left; we’d been saving it for a special occasion. That was Wednesday night when we had going-away dinner at the Marriott steak house with Carolyn, Konstantin, Eric, and Diana. Great steaks and great company!

The Widow

The Widow

Eric, Diana, Carolyn, Konstantin

Eric, Diana, Carolyn, Konstantin

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Last Sunday after a trip to the Serena Spa, we had brunch with Christy, Mike & Teri, and two new folks in honor of Mike and Christy’s birthday. Lots of fun!

Birthday Brunch with Christy

Birthday Brunch with Christy


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It was sad to say goodbye to our friends in Islamabad, especially our local staff who I may very well never see again. The NIV staff gave me a fun truck art cat as a going-away gift – cute!

I was also super-happy and surprised when the Ambassador walked in the door to the Consular Section to give me a farewell. The Consul General had asked him to come down, and he did! I don’t think he has been to the section since he arrived over a year ago. It was really nice of him to do; due to the many high-profile visa cases that we’ve handled over the last two years, I’ve worked closely with his office. His praise really means a lot to me.

The hardest thing about leaving was knowing that I won’t see the Embassy kitties again. I’m very happy because there are still lots of great volunteers who will take over where I left off, so I know they’ll be in good hands, but I will certainly miss them. What lucky kitties they are – they have gone from being strays to having a good home on the compound – or, in some cases, finding a permanent home.

So – in short – it was a great tour in Pakistan! We are looking forward to the next chapter, after a couple of weeks in DC and some time spent at home – then onward to Guadalajara, Mexico!

A few parting shots of Islamabad…

Lobby at the Serena

Lobby at the Serena

Pita, my favorite masseuse at the Serena

Pita, my favorite masseuse at the Serena

Another poinsettia in the garden

Another poinsettia in the garden

Country Cousin, one of the cats that hangs out at our house

Country Cousin, one of the cats that hangs out at our house

Random old car parked in front of the vet's office

Random old car parked in front of the vet’s office

Man with kitten

Man with kitten

The Marriott, home to some good restaurants in Islamabad and the site of the terrible bombing in 2008

The Marriott, home to some good restaurants in Islamabad and the site of the terrible bombing in 2008

I love these funny fish in the Marriott's aquarium

I love these funny fish in the Marriott’s aquarium

2 Responses to “Home!”

  1. Kyla says:

    I really enjoy your blog and all the details! Great work. Just out of curiosity, I thought that tours in places like Pakistan (AIP) were only one year. Is it because you and John were both there “separately” through your own tracks?

  2. admin says:

    Hi Kyla, and thanks! You are right that usually AIP is one year, but you can opt for two years, which is what John and I did. I highly recommend two years. With two R&Rs and a home leave between the two years, it’s very doable. Also, if you just stay for a year, it’s really hard to get much done. It takes you a few months just to figure out the lay of the land, and then it’s time to go on an R&R. Two years really gives you time to get something done!