"Bifurcation Points"

It's amazing how a little thing can change the course of a life.

When I was a freshman at UNC, I was hanging out with some Di-Phi classmates and Betsy John mentioned she was going to a presentation about study-abroad opportunities and asked if anyone else was interested in going. I had a couple hours between classes at the time of the meeting, so I decided to tag along. I was interested in the description of one of the programs, a summer term in Vienna studying multilateral diplomacy and international organizations. This ended up being the same program for which Betsy was applying, so even though it was intended for sophomores and juniors, I turned in my application as well. We both ended up in Vienna that summer, and in addition to learning a lot I gained 9 credit hours toward an International Studies major, which I ended up completing for just that reason. So it all came down to a casual remark in a gathering of friends in the lounge in Old East dormitory.

Another example: when Bongsu and I were living in Duck and looking for jobs, my mom's brother Joe "the Bear" Williams suggested that I get in touch with his wife's cousin, an FSO who was then preparing for her next post as the DCM in Embassy Bujumbura, Burundi. The phone call I eventually had with her was the first time I ever learned about how the Foreign Service application process works, and really the first time I started realizing that it might be within my reach as a career. (Of course, it took Bongsu a couple days to convince me fully that I was qualified enough to make it worth registering for the test.)

You never know what's going to happen. It's exciting!