Further Updates to Come July 5th

It's been a while since the last update because the State Department's strict IT policy prohibits me from checking personal email, chatting, writing blogs, etc. And I currently don't have internet at home.

My first week of work is in the books - that's 10% of my internship! But the best is yet to come - this week, there are three Fourth of July parties. One on July 3rd in the Ambassador's residence with embassy staff and foriegn dignitaries. Another on July 4th in the country of St. Lucia (which is one of the countries covered by the Barbados embassy) aboard an aircraft carrier the USS Simpson. Unfortunately, I won't get to go but the other intern Kimberly will. And on July 5th, there's the embassy-wide party at the exclusive Barbados Boatyard. And the following day, I get on a plane and fly to Grenada as part of an election observation mission!

Currently, I'm living with Kimberly and a political officer named Rick in his very nice plantation house. Rick is a terrific cook who likes to make us dinner every night and usually a few glasses of rum punch too. This arrangement is only temporary and on July 5th Kimberly and I are moving into another political officer's house. It's even bigger, closer to the embassy, on the beach, and it has INTERNET! Pictures and further updates will come then.