THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2024 61 problem switching careers. In reality, while many of our skills are transferable to the private sector and academia, it is not always an easy t. Taking on the role of spouse of the ambassador was another challenge. We arrived in Qatar two weeks before COVID19 restrictions were put into place. Fortunately, the embassy and the residence were colocated, and we faced few shortages. I was able to support my husband and the community. I worked closely with the community liaison o ce coordinator (CLO) to assist the sta and their families. I even received an award for morale when I set up a roster for the residence swimming pool when other pools were closed. My experience on both sides, as an ambassador and then spouse, came in handy when we celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee and commendations for her funeral and, later, the coronation of King Charles. I had a supporting role when Qatar hosted the World Cup in 2022, and our embassy had two teams— England and Wales—in the same league as the United States. When the teams competed, though, I waved the U.S. ag. Over our four years in Qatar, I continued to stay involved in foreign a airs. I worked remotely with a team at the American Academy of Diplomacy, advising the Biden administration on trade issues. I joined former ambassadors to Ethiopia in e orts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Tigray and nd a political solution to the civil war. I wrote to the deputy prime minister, who I had worked closely with on drought relief in 2015, to urge the government to provide food assistance to Tigray. I joined another group of former ambassadors to Laos to urge the Biden administration to reconsider sending cluster bombs to Ukraine. While we supported Ukraine, we had seen the detrimental e ects of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=