Happy holidays!
The Ambassador’s residence
A.J. and Jen are writing this note from the Midwest, where they’re spending the holidays with family in Illinois and Michigan! With another big year, here’s a new Q&A to give you all the updates on their 2021:
Training hard!
Q: What has Jen been up to?
Jen has had an eventful year in Haiti, to say the least. All the way back in February, things were getting “heated” when half of Haiti thought the president’s term was up, and the other half thought he still had one more year. In July, Haiti’s president was assassinated, then an earthquake hit in August, followed by increasing kidnappings and a massive fuel shortage. Jen was in Haiti for all of it, experiencing a very full first tour in the Foreign Service. In her time restricted to the compound, she tries (and mostly fails) to keep plants alive, takes tennis lessons, and even hobbles around on roller skates - just a few new 2021 hobbies.
Q: What has A.J. been up to?
A.J. spent the entirety of 2021 teleworking and helped put on the first virtual SelectUSA Investment Summit, the highest-profile event for promoting foreign investment into the U.S. He also joined the masses of untethered Millennials giving up a home base; he finished a lease in DC, spent some time with his parents in Michigan, then wrapped up the year with Jen in Haiti - a true nomad! He’s waiting to be called back to the office and will be with Jen until that happens. In the meantime he’s enjoying the compound pool in Haiti as he’s getting back into triathlon training with his sights set on a Half Ironman race in 2022!
Q: What are some 2021 highlights?
Jen and A.J. found out their next post: Tokyo! They are eagerly awaiting new adventures in a country neither of them have ever been, while trying to get a head start on the three different alphabets that make up the Japanese language. Wish them luck, and start marking your calendars to visit (2023-2025)!
The biggest highlight of 2021 was the ability to travel without quarantining for 10 days, which they used to have to do every time they entered Haiti. This allowed them to take a belated honeymoon to Mexico where they rode bikes around Mayan ruins and snorkeled with turtles. They also met up many times in Florida, where A.J.’s two adorable nephews live, and got to see family throughout the year. These visits were by far the best memories of 2021.
That’s a wrap! Wishing you lots of peace, love, and joy,
-Jen & A.J.
Thanksgiving in New Jersey with A.J.’s family!
Mother’s Day in DC with Jen’s family!