The Foreign Service Journal, January 2006

seas, every pay period I set aside the equivalent of what I had paid in Washington for a month’s rent, which I then invested in the stock market. Since I was serving in posts in which housing was provided, this practice was painless. I also participated in the Thrift Savings Plan, of course. My portfolio made all the difference in the timing and comfort of my retirement. At the end of my final three years, I took the Retirement Seminar. I highly recommend that resource to everyone, even those who do not intend to continue in a line of work associated with foreign affairs. The seminar helps one consider various options for retirement. It also taught me how to sell myself as a contributor to scientific endeavors, incorporating the skills I acquired in the Foreign Service, such as team- building and project management. Finding a New Home I wasn’t sure where I wanted to settle and sink in those roots. I knew it would have to be in a warm climate, but that was it. So I stayed on in Washington for a year after retiring and used the time to identify possible retirement places, consulting a variety of good books and Web sites. I selected six places to visit and spent a week in each, vis- iting zoos, animal sanctuaries and research institutions and looking at available housing. I also met with friends, friends of friends and retired FSOs to find out about the quality of life in each place. My focus was drawn to San Diego because of its proximity to my hometown of Los Angeles, the variety of opportunities to work in animal and environmental fields and the abundant cultural life. The only down- side was the cost of housing. San Diego, and Southern California in general, is an expensive housing market. As one realtor put it, “In San Diego, you pay a fortune for a sliver of California with a shack on it.” I moved here and rented a home for a year before making a final determination to stay. Once I decided that San Diego was indeed the place for me, I picked a realtor and found my dream house. The secret to finding the house you want is to ignore the adage “location, location, location,” and focus on “I want, I want, I want.” In other words, I bought to please myself, not for investment purposes. I looked in neighborhoods that were not on the “A” list, but rather in areas that were well-kept secrets. (Having volun- teered for “Meals on Wheels” during my first year, I had discovered lovely neighborhoods on less-traveled roads). And as it turned out, property values in all parts of the city have skyrocketed, so I’m not suffer- ing. I am happy with my decision. I love living in San Diego, which offers a rich cultural life, a variety of out- door activities and wonderful weather. I am still work- ing with animals, taking courses, tutoring youngsters, mentoring foreign college students and otherwise vol- unteering my time for special events. Yes, I admit that I have a long way to go in developing my “Just say no” skills. But I take consolation from the fact that I share this weakness with many other retirees. n F O C U S J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 37 Millie McCoo was a public diplomacy Foreign Service Officer from 1972 to 2000, serving in Abidjan, Antananarivo, Port-au-Prince, Rabat, Cairo, Kuwait, Washington and Los Angeles. She now resides in San Diego. While I loved my career in the Foreign Service, I had grown weary of pack-outs and goodbyes.