Be Sure to Vote!

Hey everyone!  I just added a poll at the side of our page, if anyone wants to wager a guess as to where we will be headed on Flag Day.  We will find out our first assignment in the Foreign Service on October 12th!

Welcome to the Foreign Service!

Whew!  What a couple of weeks it has been.  We have been to Peru, done some house shopping, and I have started a new job in the Foreign Service.  I'm uploading three posts today, so be sure to keep scrolling to get updates on the rest of our hectic lives.

This week, I started my new job with the Foreign Service in the U.S. Department of State.  It is a fascinating organization, and I am really enjoying all of my training right now.  I have received so many assurances that this is the right career choice for me and Sarah.  To add to the excitement/stress, we also received the "bid list" this week.  This list include a compilation of all the locations overseas where there are currently openings for entry level officers.  Sarah and I now have the daunting tasks of researching each location to determine whether we should bid it high, medium, or low.   

I wish I could share all of the exotic locations on the list, but suffice it to say that I'm sure there are some places you have never heard of.  I know I hadn't.  We'll find out our first post on Flag Day, which takes place October 12th.  It can't come soon enough!

We're buying a house?!

It's official: the Petersons have lost their minds.  After returning home from Peru, Sarah spotted this home online and asked that we take a look at it.  We've been looking for a home for a few weeks, since mortgage rates are low, and it would be a great investment to rent out while we live overseas with the Foreign Service.  We put in an offer on this "quaint" two-bedroom townhouse in North Arlington, and we're shocked to discover our offer was accepted!

There is still a lot of work to be done, but we're hoping to close by the end of October.  Woohoo!  We're part of the landed gentry!

Our Trip to Peru!

Boy, has it been a crazy week.  If you have read the two posts above this one, then you already know why.  I've barely had time to even look at our pictures from our trip to Peru.  We have an amazing time.  We started out our trip by heading straight to Cuzco.  It was the original capital of colonial Peru.  Here's the Plaza de Armas.

Cuzco is 13,000 feet above sea level, so you definitely feel a bit of altitude sickness for the first two days.  Just walking up the stairs to our hotel was exhausting.  Here's one of the main cathedrals in town.

The next day we went to a local artisan market in a town called Pisac.  There's not much there, besides the market and some ancient Incan ruins overlooking the town.

There are dogs everywhere, but at least this one at the market seemed pretty well taken care of.

We spent some time up at the top of the ruins at Pisac.  They are remarkably well-preserved, and impressive in their own right (although they pale in comparison to Machu Picchu).

We were a bit lazy that day, so we took a taxi up to the top of the mountain, and then hiked down, but it was still pretty treacherous and exhausting hike.

Then came the big day: our trip to Machu Picchu!

It is truly an incredible place.  We were completely amazed at the architecture and the sheer size of the city.

As per tradition, I made sure to pack along some Pop Tarts, the perfect snack after an arduous hike up to a wonder of the world.

I asked my sister Kim if she wanted me to bring her back anything from Peru.  Her request was simple: that I shout her name from the top of Machu Picchu.

You're welcome.

Even the llamas are photogenic at Machu Picchu.

We also spent a couple days in Lima.  Although not quite as picturesque as the Andes, there is still a lot to see and do there. 

We took a couple tours in downtown Lima, including one of a monastery with catacombs full of skeletons underneath (sadly no pictures were allowed).  We also toured some impressive art museums.

Sarah also discovered that one of her favorite New York designers makes all of his ceramics on the outskirts of Lima.  They sell a bunch of them out of a warehouse dirt cheap.  If Sarah is ever frightened in the future, and I tell her to close her eyes and "go to her happy place," this will be what she pictures. 

And of course, no Peterson trip would be complete without a full review of the available food, including empanadas.

And famous Peruvian rotisserie chicken (from now on I'm putting a fried egg on top of every meal).

 Lots of chocolate, in all its forms.

And something called Inka Kola, which looked radioactive, but tasted somewhat like Bubble Gum.  It's more popular than Coca-Cola down here.  Overall, it was a pretty successful trip.