and you thought visiting the ducks was a good thing...

Going to see the ducks used to be thought of as a fun activity. Last year it became code for 'I need to tell you something privately'. For those of you not familiar with foreign service life, some times and in some places you are never really alone, and therefor have to come up with creative ways to communicate.

A year ago today my husband called to tell me that he was on his way home and we needed to go see the ducks. Going for a walk anywhere was not my idea of a good time since I'd just had surgery the day before and was rather sore, but apparently this was important, so off we went. That cold, dark night we walked to the river, and that's when he told me. Relations between the two countries were getting worse and I needed to pack a bag in case I needed to leave with very short notice. Now, under the best of circumstances, that's a hard thing to stomach, but since we had growing embryos in a lab, I was sickened by this news. So I told him what any (ir)rational, hormonally crazed woman would, that I would apply for Belarusian citizenship before I would leave the country without those babies. Realizing that wasn't a viable option, I worried and wondered if I would be around long enough to have my embryo transfer. All I needed was 36 more hours.

Fortunately I was there long enough to have the transfer, but I thought it was laughable when my RE kept telling me to reduce stress in my life, relax, treat myself like I was at the spa. Ha!