Kirkland sparkling water

Per the Foreign Service Act of 1980, this summer we completed our Home Leave “to ensure that employees who live abroad for an extended period undergo reorientation and re-exposure in the United States on a regular basis.” It took two weeks of DC concrete, two weeks of Colorado mountains, and two weeks of Missouri rivers to make it feel like Uzbekistan was a distant memory- but only just. The fun of home leave didn’t shake the heartache of missing my Tashkent friends and colleagues, but rather amplified it. I feel their pull of stories, laughter, support, and pranks, even as I write this from my new post in Astana. Only now, it’s the angsty pull of not just Tashkent, but the U.S. friends and family I reconnected with too.

In addition to seeing old friends from previous posts and lifetimes, highlights of Washington included our kids independently taking Metro down to the National Mall, visiting museums and monuments, and vibing at the Folk Life Festival while Mark and I went to trainings all week. Mark took a reassuring retirement seminar, while I learned how to get into a helicopter (pro tip: duck low) and drive a getaway car Fast and Furious style. After rekindling my love for music and rocking out with the Fowl Owls (or maybe it was the Foul Owls??) I bought a flute off Facebook and trialed it in a highly trafficked women’s bathroom at Nordstrom in Tyson’s Corner. We ate too much Costco “trash pizza” and drank cases of Kirkland sparkling water.

Colorado time was filled with daily bike rides but this time mostly on gravel. (Mark anticipates all season riding to work in Astana, so he bought a steel cross bike to manage his commute. School is a five minute walk from our house and our growing children (how do they do it so quickly?) so we got them cross bikes for their commute as well.) I only brought my road bike which meant they got 2 weeks of riding Centennial Cone trails, while I’d climb up and down Golden Gate Canyon. Then we’d meet for a family ride leading back to my parent’s house. It was pretty perfect. In between rides, we hiked in my parent’s backyard and schemed on stealing my brother’s poodle named Jed. Colorado evenings entailed Hazel Miller Band, Shawn Eckels Band, and Billy Joel, and SO many home cooked dinners, my favorite way to food and each meal paired nicely with cases of Kirkland sparkling water.

Fishing, hiking, and canoeing ruled our Missouri time. My father-in-law took us to Roaring River State Park, a place he used to bring Mark and Mark's brother Danny for trout fishing. They fished at Taneycomo Lake, a place “guaranteed for catches” and while the act of fishing was a success, they caught nothing. One try left, we canoed and fished the James River, something Mark would have never fathomed doing as a kid. Back then, the river was famous for being disgusting. So much so, Big Smith wrote a song about it called Dirty Old James. However, state conservation efforts improved conditions of the river so well that herons, eagles, and other animals have since returned. When we couldn’t get out of the city, the Springfield Conservation Center assuaged the need for bird watching and tree bathing. Other SPFD field trips included Buc-ee’s, a gas station of 24/7 Texan proportions with a vibe not unlike Black Friday, and the World’s Largest Fork (by mass) weighing 11 tons. Probably the same amount of consumed Kirkland sparkling water on this MO trip.

And poof! After hefting our rental car from Denver to Springfield and back and consumed ample amounts of Chipotle and Kirkland sparkling water in the world’s most monotonous 12-hour drive across Kansas, home leave time was up. In CO, we organized consumables, packed bags, and said a temporary goodbye to our bicycles before catching flights to Astana for the next round of Foreign Service life.

Kids on their own (credit: Margo)

Hiking with Grandpa Tom

Fishing with Grandpa David

On the James River, canoes from Hootentown (credit: Margo)

A big fork. SPFD.

Leaning into beaver culture if only for 20 minutes.

A rock we paid waaaaay too much money to see in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Driving across Kansas with Window Peeper,
 the green monster puppet.

Pretending we are either 8 year girls, or 80 year old women at that Brown Palace for Tea Time.
The Great 2024 Bestie Summit: my college bestie and her North Dakota bestie.

Hiking in mom's backyard. (credit: Mark)

Mark and the kids with Grandma Kaye, Grandpa Tom, their cousins Isaac and Alina,
Uncle Gabe and Aunt Nettie with Jed the dog. (Credit: Mark)

Centennial Cone

More hiking in their wee backyard.

 Hazel Miller Band and so many people wearing
hats at 13,000 feet.

Golden Mill with musician Shawn Eckels,
cousin/football player/cycling shorts model/actor/producer/Bryan Harris, 
and Pennsylvania stoop legend and dear friend "Tuesday" Jenn Marti.

 Vintage bike dreams do come true at Golden Velo

BILLIE JOEL! (Credit: Amy)

My first time scootering. (credit: Amy)

Kansas Meme-ing.