The Foreign Service has a presence in 265 embassies and consulates around the world. It’s possible that I will be posted to somewhere you have never heard of (do you know where Ouagadougou is?).
However, before being posted abroad, there is a six-week training session in Washington, D.C., followed by additional training. It could be up to a year before I actually go abroad.
“Tours” last between two and four years (most tours seem to be for three years). Foreign Service officers move around the world, serving in different countries throughout their careers.
It’s very likely, because of my language background, that I will be sent to a Chinese-speaking location for my first tour (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Singapore). But that isn’t a guarantee. The State Department cautions us that:
All officers are considered worldwide available and must be prepared to go where needed; you must be ready, at any time, to meet the needs of the Service.
Why yes, I do know where Ouagadougou is!