The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2003

She spun her ring around on her finger, once, twice. She looked down at the ring pensively, and when she looked up, I thought she would say something to me. But she just sighed, picked up her pen, made a nota- tion, and pushed a paper under the glass. Our hands didn’t touch. “Congratulations,” she said in a quiet voice. “Your visa will be ready this afternoon at 2 p.m. Please show this paper when you return to the embassy.” She picked up my file from her desk, adding, “Good luck in America.” And she walked away. I stood for a moment, looking at the space where she’d been. I wanted to ask her about America, to ask her about herself. I wanted to know if she was engaged too, and if this is what it was supposed to feel like. I wanted to ask: what do I do now? But she was already gone, and anyway, I didn’t have the words for those questions. I saw my reflection in the glass, still smiling at me. I straightened out my crooked collar and wound my scarf tightly around my neck. I picked up my packet of let- ters and checked to make sure my own small ring was still firmly on my finger. I turned away from the glass, away from the space where the vice consul had been, and headed back out into Moscow, where the air was already chilly with the onset of winter and my friends were circling impatiently, waiting to hear my news. ■ F O C U S 40 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 3 I saw my reflection in the glass, still smiling at me. N O W A V A I L A B L E F R O M A F S A … The most informative book on the Foreign Service. Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service Works for America is a must-read for anyone who wants to know about the people who work in American embassies and consulates around the world. Share in the real-life experiences of the Foreign Service: the coups, the evacuations, the heroics, the hardships and the everyday challenges and rewards of representing America to the world. Order your copy today! Go to w ww.afsa.org/inside or call (847) 364-1222 to place an order by phone.