Cheers to the Consulate Community

Ciudad Juarez is an awesome city, as evidenced by the video above. Although we definitely viewed this assignment with trepidation, Sarah and I have really enjoyed it here. It's hard to believe our tour in CJ is already half over.

Despite being a fascinating city with wonderful people, Juarez is not without its challenges. There is not a lot to do in town (especially if you don't drink), it can take forever to get back and forth between Juarez and El Paso, more than half of the town is strictly off limits to FSOs for security reasons, and it is generally not recommended to stay out late at night.

So what makes Juarez such a great post? In short, the Consular community, meaning the people I work and live with. In the Foreign Service, people often talk about whether there is a good sense of "community" at a particular post. For example, London has a reputation for having a very low sense of community. You generally do not see your coworkers outside of work, primarily because there is so much to do in a city like London. You work with them, and that's about it.

The community in Juarez is the exact opposite of London (not surprisingly, London and Juarez seem to be quite different). Have you ever watched an episode of "The Office" and thought to yourself, "Wouldn't that be nice for all of your best friends to also be the people you work with?" This is the best way I can describe what it feels like to live and work in Juarez. There is a sense that "we are all in this together," and during the evening and on the weekends, you always spend time with one another.

Sarah and I have been fortunate enough to make some great friends during our first year in Juarez. People with whom we have shared birthdays, holidays, and BBQs. You are genuinely excited to see your coworkers on Monday, because they are some of your closest friends, and you really want to hear what they have been up to. Not to mention, my wife works in the same building as me, which is awesome!

I know this post is a bit sappy, but I just wanted to say thanks to all the great people I work with here in Juarez. I imagine that there are a few things that I will not miss the last time I drive my car north across the border, but I will definitely miss the sense of community that I have felt here.