Finally!

Over a year ago, I decided to put in an application to join the foreign service for USAID. More than four months passed until I was finally called for an interview last November. They flew me out to DC, I went through a pretty intense interviewing process, and headed back home. Another three months passed before I got a pre-employment packet in February. After an intense background check and physical, I waited another four months until last week, when my job offer finally arrived! On November 8, 2010, I report for training in Washington, DC!

Chris and I are frantically trying to figure out everything that needs to be done in the next two months. Chris will be moving in with his brother in St. Louis and finishing out the school year at Webster Groves while I go through the training program in DC. We're working on renting out our house for the next year, organizing and taking inventory of all our stuff, heading out to DC to look at apartments (which are amazingly expensive compared to living in St. Louis!), and trying to remain sane.

My last day at my current job is September 17th, and in addition to all the stuff I have to do, there's a lot I want to do before leaving St. Louis (and I'd be happy to have company!). Here's what I have on the list so far:

Cardinals Game
Blues Game (which will be checked off on Oct. 9 - thanks Max!)
Art Museum & Zoo
Botanical Gardens
St. Louis Art Fair
Grant's Farm
Eat at Eclipse...and Pi...and Ted Drewes
Go up in the Arch (which I haven't done since grade school)
Visit the local wineries


Anyone have other things that should be on the list?