FAMILY MEMBER EMPLOYMENTThe Search for Meaningful Overseas Work

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60 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 2

Moving every two to three years inthe Foreign Service is a rathernontraditional way of life, unless

you are a nomad. However, recently itoccurred to me that this life is very sim-ilar to something a little more prosaic —going to college. The main difference isthat in the transient expat life, instead ofgoing to university once, we do it over andover again.There are many similarities, both social

and academic, between the ForeignService life and university. When we wentoff to college, we often didn’t know a soul.The same can be said for almost everypost. There may be a few people weencountered earlier in our careers; butmost likely, we arrive not knowing any-one.Despite having done our homework,

we arrive without much of a clue. Al-though we may have read about the placeand what it has to offer, it is only whenour boots hit the ground that weare able to figure out how every-thing fits together.As the years at post pass, just as

they do at university, we movefrom being clueless, disconnectedfreshmen into the ranks of upper-classmen, where we generally havethe situation down pat and arewoven into a tapestry of commu-nity and social life.Being at post is comparable to

university academically, as well.Just as we had to select a major atschool, something on which tofocus our intellectual attention,many of us do something similarat post. For Foreign Servicemembers, their major is pro-scribed for them by their jobs. Butmany family members actually getto choose their majors. For example, here in Brussels,

Robbin Zeff Warner is well on herway to graduating magna cum

laude in chocolate. Belgium is theperfect place for such a major, as itboasts three of the world’s largestchocolate manufacturers, and ishome to more than 10,000 artisanchocolate shops dotted aroundthe country.Warner spent her first couple of

years exploring Brussels beforesettling on learning all she couldabout making chocolates. Now shehas moved on to offering coursesteaching others how to take rawchocolate, temper it and mold itinto a variety of shapes.“Finding out I loved working

with chocolate was a process of dis-covery,” says Robbin. “I’d beendabbling in this, sampling a little ofthat, until I took a professionalchocolate-making course at theChocolate Academy at Callebautand was officially hooked. Whenwe go back to the States, I am seri-

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The University of (fill in the blank)

Peter Barbarich, a family member in Brussels, finds his true calling chiseling sculpture from local wood.

Robbin Zeff Warner creates chocolates molded into a variety of shapeswhen she isn’t teaching others the joy of Belgian chocolate-making.

FAMILY MEMBER MATTERS ■ BY DOUGLAS E. MORRIS

GENE WAR

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TJER

RIE VE

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A P R I L 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 61

Thomas Jefferson, born on April 13,1743, was the third U.S. president, thesecond U.S. minister plenipotentiary

to France and the first U.S. Secretary of State.Yet while Jefferson was the first of six futurepresidents who would hold the nation’s high-est diplomatic office, he did not regard hiswork in foreign affairs as among his semi-nal achievements. His epitaph, which heauthored, reads: “Here was buried ThomasJefferson, Author of the Declaration ofAmerican Independence, of the Statute ofVirginia for Religious Freedom and fatherof the University of Virginia.”While giving the country its founding

document and today’s Atlantic CoastConference a solid performer in a varietyof sports, are certainly historic achievements,what was his legacy to the Department ofState?In 1790, when Jefferson reluctantly

became Secretary of State, the departmenthad a skeleton staff of just four clerks, onetranslator and a messenger. Together withPresident George Washington, they lobbiedCongress to fund the department’s opera-tions and increase the number of diplomaticposts abroad. As a result, by 1792 the U.S.had 16 diplomatic and consular outposts,mostly in Europe. Jefferson requested that diplomatic

representatives write regular dispatchesabout “such political and commercial intel-ligence as you may think interesting to theUnited States,” and any information about“military preparations and other indicationsof war.” He divided the department intoa diplomatic service, which was responsi-ble for political work; and the consular ser-vice, which handled commercial andAmerican citizen services. This divisionremained in effect until 1924, when theRogers Act merged the two services. Despite his years in Paris, and his affin-

ity for the French, Jefferson did not like theformality that typified European diplomaticservices. He did not adhere to rigid stan-dards of protocol, and he promoted the tra-

dition of American representatives wear-ing unpretentious clothing. While khakisand a blue Oxford shirt may not have beenavailable at the time, the fact that Americanswere outdressed by their European coun-terparts was appropriate, given the ethic ofthe country.Funding consular operations from

user fees began under Jefferson. Consulsat 18th-century American diplomatic out-posts did not receive salaries. They sup-ported themselves through the fees theycharged or through business ventures.When Congress finally began paying themsalaries in 1856, consuls were no longer per-mitted to engage in outside business activ-ities, but they continued to finance oper-ations through user fees.In 1790, the department had a sub-

stantial number of domestic duties, includ-ing communicating federal legislation to thestates. Jefferson’s tenure as Secretary of Statewas marked by internal political battles, par-ticularly with Treasury Secretary AlexanderHamilton. He was unable to concludetreaties to resolve conflicts with England orSpain and finally, in 1793, stepped downfrom his position.At the same time, he increased the coun-

try’s diplomatic representation abroad,implemented a system of reporting thatremains a core Foreign Service function andestablished diplomatic traditions that rep-resented the new country’s proletarianethic. ❏

Greg Naarden, an FSO since 2004, is a memberof the FSJ Editorial Board and Friends of the USDC,a support group for the U.S. Diplomacy Center(diplomacy.state.gov).

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ously considering doing this for a living.”Another member of the Brussels

community, Peter Barbarich, has decid-ed to major in sculpture. When he firstarrived, he spent a lot of time being ahousehusband when he wasn’t exercis-ing and getting into shape. After a while,however, he wanted something more. So,pursuing a lifelong passion, he signed upfor a few art courses at the RhokAcademy of 3D Arts. He now focuseson learning as much as he can about theart and science of sculpture.“I’ve been working with stone, wood

and metal, and found this amazing

teacher,” Peter says. “In real life I am ascientist, but sculpture is my true calling.”Whether we commit ourselves to a

major, or continue to dabble in electives,every new post is akin to going to theUniversity of Belgium, Italy, or Uganda,or wherever it is we are located, then onto the next one.What a wonderful opportunity this is.

Spending one’s life learning about newand interesting people and places, overand over again. Though rather nontra-ditional, I can think of no better way tospend my brief time on this planet. So, what’s your major? ❏

Douglas E. Morris is the partner of a ForeignService officer assigned to Brussels. He servesas the editor of the tri-mission newsletter and haspublished eight travel guides, including the lat-est revision to his book, Open Road’s Best of Italy,to be released this month.

This Month in Diplomatic History:Thomas Jefferson

BY GREG NAARDEN

When Jefferson reluctantly

assumed his position as Secretary

of State, the department had a

skeleton staff of just four clerks,

one translator and a messenger.

Pursuing a lifelong passion,

Peter signed up for a few art

courses at the Rhok Academy

of 3D Arts. He now focuses on

learning as much as he

can about the art and science

of sculpture.