My Last Post on nandm.sbitani.com

First things first: as many people who care about us have asked, we were evacuated from Dubai last month and made it safely back to the United States. (Yes, we were on the New England Patriots charter plane you may have seen on the news or social media.) Our hearts break for those suffering under violence and conflict - seeing how just one week hearing missiles and drones and fighter jets and interceptions affected us, I can't imagine what it's like for families living under the real and constant threat of war. It was not the end to our tour that we wanted or expected, but it was the one we got. There are so many people we care about in the UAE with whom we didn't get to share a proper goodbye, so my hope is that we will be back someday to see them again.

Besides that important update, I've been pondering a version of this post for a very long time. When I originally started this blog, I wanted it to do two things. First, I wanted it to be a resource for earlier-career diplomats and people interested in the Foreign Service, the way many others' Foreign Service blogs had been for me when I was applying. I wanted to pay that forward and have been so touched by the messages I've received over the years of people who did find the blog that way. I've been especially moved by those who have since joined the Foreign Service and continued to use the blog as (hopefully one of many) data points to help them navigate this career and lifestyle. Second, I wanted the blog to be a way for folks back home to still see what we're up to and feel connected. The hardest thing about living so far from home is being apart from so many of the people we love, and I did love the connection the blog brought us. However, I'm more confident than ever that the blog isn't the only way to keep that connection up. I'm hoping to do far more direct emails, calls, and video chats with people than before, and I look forward to having more two-way conversations than the blog allowed.

Over time, the blog also became a travel resource for friends and family. I love sharing posts on our trips to Oman or favorite hidden gems in South Korea with people when they ask for recommendations. But the reality is that my time has vastly shrunk since advancing in my career and becoming a mother who strives to be present for the limited family time we have. When we go on family vacations, I now spend way less time taking photos of food and sunsets and more time living in the moment, as young children do so well and naturally. This has been great for me personally but means I have less content for the blog and social media - a tradeoff that is completely worth it but is still a tradeoff.

Another reason I am winding down my writing for the blog is because I'm investing more time in my speculative fiction writing. I am currently in the grueling process of revising the second novel manuscript I've ever written, and I'm still writing short stories when I can (with a microfiction recently accepted for publication). If you're interested in continuing to receive periodic updates on my personal thoughts including on shows like Madam Secretary and The Diplomat, big life news, and information about my fiction writing and publishing elsewhere, then please subscribe to my email newsletter: Fics & Dip. My posts there will be relatively short and (hopefully) still as enjoyable as whatever you read on the blog, though the content will be different. All new Fics & Dip subscribers will get my first-ever professionally published science fiction flash fiction from years ago in their inbox.

So I've decided to leave all the N&M blog posts up, but I'll no longer be adding new posts. While I encourage new diplomats to seek out the most current resources for advice whenever possible, some things (like what corridor reputation is) never seem to change. (Plus, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) keeps a great list of Foreign Service blogs if you're still looking for some.)

I have spent this weekend celebrating Easter and General Conference with dear friends and family, a reminder of the things I want to prioritize in this season of life. That being said, it has been such a privilege to share these pieces of my life and work with you, blog readers. I appreciate the precious time you spent reading, commenting, and letting me know what you think about my posts. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Plaka Plaka Hey Hey

I've really outdone myself with the title this time... I think I can make M cringe so many ways with this one, from the outdated Shakira reference to the sad pun on "plaka", which I understand just means "stone slab" in Greek but is also the name of the neighborhood we spent much of our time in beautiful Athens. Athens, Greece was the last stop on our anniversary cruise after Istanbul. Athens was an absolute dream for the whole family, and I wish we had had more time there!

Our first day we got checked into our hotel and explored the neighborhood in Plaka. I bought some leather sandals, as Greece is known for high-quality leather and shoes. We visited Athens National Garden, a park that had a wonderful playground for S and lifted my soul with all the greenery I don't see much in Dubai. I ate refreshing Greek salad and drank a non-alcoholic mastiha lemonade, which combines lemon juice and resin from the mastic tree that grows on the island of Chios in Greece. They were delightful!

After we left the park, we stumbled upon the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, which hadn't originally been on my list but really caught my eye as we walked past and so we turned back and went inside. I'm so glad we did, because it was full of treasures and fascinating history, from ancient pottery to centuries of currency and cool religious artifacts and art from Greece's history. It's also well-known for a pair of perfectly preserved wood-paneled interiors that were donated to the museum after adorning a wealthy family's house. Aren't those walls gorgeous?

We went to a famous, absurdly thematic cafe called Little Kook that was decked out all the way down the street with Snow White paraphernalia. S loved the staff costumes, props, and extensive selection of desserts. The food was... okay, but we all could see that the quality of the food was not the main draw of the place.

The next day we went to the Acropolis (from where I took the first photo of this post). There was so much to see, and it was packed with people. After the Acropolis, we made our way to the Acropolis Museum, which helped us understand more about the things we saw at the Acropolis site itself. I was blown away by how well so many sites were preserved and the fact that new archaeological research and restoration work are still being done all the time.

Keeping with our spontaneous streak this stop, we also found a walking path as we were leaving the Acropolis and decided to follow it up to another peak with the Philopappos Monument. One our way up, we passed a cave with iron bars that was rumored to be the prison of ancient philosopher Socrates. And at the top, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Acropolis from a distance.

In between the attractions themselves, we really enjoyed just strolling around Athens and soaking in the beautiful, bustling streets, cute shops and cafes, endless restaurants, and more - all under the majestic, towering Acropolis. There were a lot of short-term tourists like us, but the city also struck me as a lovely place to stay longer. I'm sure we'll be back someday, and until then it's time to bid farewell to the anniversary cruise posts and return to our regularly scheduled life and related programming! Thanks for reading!

Lots of Seeking and Some Finding in Istanbul

After our idyllic visit to Crete, we were looking forward to visiting Türkiye. We had a one-day stop in Istanbul scheduled before our ship moved on to another Greek island, Mykonos. Unfortunately, tragedy struck on route and for the first time we experienced what happens when someone goes overboard on a cruise ship. The Man Overboard signal was transmitted late at night and announced throughout the ship. The captain turned the ship around to where the person had gone over and sent out rescue boats and searchlights over the dark water. They asked passengers to notify crew if we saw or heard anything, and they even turned off the air conditioning and other non-essential electric functions to make it easier to hear if there were any cries for help. Send we were in Turkish waters, the Turkish coast guard joined the search.

The heartbreaking end to this story is the person was never found. After a whole night of searching, Turkish authorities boarded our ship and reviewed the CCTV footage. Later, the captain confirmed it was a crew member who went overboard. Authorities cleared the ship to proceed, and although they never said this explicitly it seems likely based on circumstances that the crew member may have died by suicide.* I learned from other stories online that this happens more than I realized, and it made me so sad to think about how many of the other people I interacted with on ship who might greet me with a smile while hurting deeply on the inside.

With heavy and somber hearts, we continued on our journey with a modified itinerary that removed a planned stop in Mykonos and gave us an afternoon and evening in Istanbul instead of just the daytime. We had no real plan, just a list of family-friendly tourist sites we thought we might visit.

My favorite stop by far (as you can tell from the photos) was the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly known as the Blue Mosque. It's a working mosque that closes for prayer times but in between is open for visitors to admire the stunning blue tilework from which it draws its nickname. It was an architectural marvel, and I felt so peaceful inside.

I know the Hagia Sophia is even more famous, but from recent reviews I read online it sounds like most of the interior is closed off to tourists and the price was very steep, so instead we admired it from the outside. We spent the rest of the day wandering the streets and getting a feel for the city, taking a couple rides on the tram to explore. It was a little hot and crowded, so we ended up returning to the ship after a few hours.

In the end, I felt like we had only scratched the surface of this fascinating city and I hope we get the chance to visit again someday. Next time, I'll blog about the very last stop on our anniversary cruise: Athens, Greece. Until then, stay safe and hold your loved ones close.

*If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, you are not alone. Please seek help from a professional mental health care provider or at findahelpline.com.