Page 78 - IFAFA ebook v4

30.

Alita Byrd Gleeson

Moving isn’t easy. It’s an upheaval. It’s a challenge. It’s emotionally

draining. It’s always hard.

And yet, representing Ireland around the world is an incredible

privilege and an extraordinary adventure. Living in different

countries, in different cultures, among new languages is an

opportunity to make new friends, to see the world, and to

experience life in a way most people can only dream about.

It’s important to hold on to your roots — to keep in touch with

friends and family back home. But it’s also important not to dwell
in your old life; rather to jump in to your new one with both feet.

You have to say ‘Yes’ to all invitations, you have to be willing to be

vulnerable to make new friends and you have to spend your holiday

time exploring your new corner of the world.

Even when you embrace a new posting with all of your energy,

acclimating to a new place can’t be rushed. It takes time. It takes

time to figure out where the dry cleaners are, where to buy the

freshest vegetables, where to find the best views. It isn’t easy
talking to a hairdresser, a plumber, an auto mechanic, or a

customer service representative in a different language. It takes

time to find a friend you can ask for help when you’re far away

from home. But you get there. And it’s fun.

When these photos were taken, we were packing up our house in

north Dublin, preparing for our posting to Santiago, Chile. This is

our first posting with four children. It’s our first posting where

finding a school seemed like a nearly insurmountable challenge. It’s
our farthest posting ever from our families. And it’s our first

posting in a very long time to a non-English speaking country.

These are just some of the factors that mean this posting has been a

particular challenge. But this is where I want to be.

Our children are young enough that they have adapted quite well to

the change. They seem happy in their new school. We hope that

they will leave this posting speaking fluent Spanish.

We have a child with special needs, and that makes it much more

difficult to move to a new place. Finding a school that is the right

fit and that will accept him is extremely hard. We also have to find

new medical providers, new therapists, and new activities. He

thrives on routine, so we worry when we shake things up for him so

profoundly. There was a period of time that we worried we would

not have a school for him on this posting. Fortunately, the school

that was our only option eventually enrolled him.

The role of diplomatic spouse is a significant role — unpaid and

relatively unnoticed by the Department. I spend most of my time

that is not taken by caring for my family on jobs involved with the

embassy. I have spent hundreds of hours finding and furnishing the

residence. I will spend many more preparing for events. I make

contacts with service providers. I work with maintenance and

upkeep. In many embassies, there is a large staff of people who do

all of these jobs. Here it’s just me. I also accompany my husband

the officer to functions — often several every week.

69