In a few hours, Mr. Crab will permanently depart Bahrain, the end of my first tour in the Foreign Service. Two years and 19 days, one authorized departure, two homes, 20 Friday brunches, a handful of great new friends, one new cat (Habibi!), one super-supportive wife / coworker (Mrs. Crab!), and many many treasured memories. 

Parting thoughts: The Foreign Service is my third career (after the military and journalism). This has been the most challenging and difficult job I've ever held, but it was also one of the most professionally rewarding experiences of my life. Despite the challenges, I've come to the conclusion that I made the right choice to join the Foreign Service!  For the prospective FS candidates: yes, the Foreign Service is a "dream job", but it's still a JOB -- with the same pluses & minuses that come with any career choice. But I have no regrets and now looking ahead to the future.  

The Two Crabs will soon be reunited in my hometown of Washington, D.C. When you next hear from us, the Crabs will be blogging about our adventures in America, the trials and tribulations of Korean language training as we prepare for our next tour in Seoul. 

See you on the flip side!