Now that we have finally made it into the Foreign Service, we can spend all the time we used to spend worrying "if we would make it" now wondering "where we will go and when." To do this properly we have to spend vast amounts of time surfing the internet about random places and checking crime statistics, grocery costs, living conditions, and diversions. Our main source of information is www.talesmag.com. But we really do not discriminate and use any source. It is much easier to choose the places we do not want to go rather than deciding our top picks.
POSTS WE WANT TO AVOID based upon our late night internet surfing:
Caracas now known as murder capital of the world, but R visited it with her Mom and 3 year old son about 7 years ago and really enjoyed the trip.
Mexican border towns also many murders; one report says that you will spend all your time in some type of compound surrounded by razor wire and armed guards with all the other Americans; doesn't sound like much cultural interaction goes on there.
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, unaccompanied posts supposedly off limits to first tour FSO's
Port Moresby, PNG rated as the highest hardship of any place in the world by the Economist magazine; R's brother spent time there on a mission trip and contracted malaria, from which he suffered greatly because doctors here didn't know how to diagnose it.
Countries that are reported to have a low view of women and Americans, or who have severe restrictions such as not allowing women to drive.
HARDSHIP POSTS WE THINK WE WOULD LIKE:
Freetown, Sierra Leone, because we have some friends and relatives who have been on medical mission trips there.
Guinea Bissau, West Africa, C's good friend from Anderson is now a missionary there.
Yekaterinburg or Vladivostok, Russia, because there is a lot of cultural interaction with the locals who reportedly are interested to speak to Americans, and we like following the blog of an FSO posted in Vladivostok www.240to120.com.
Lima, Peru, reportedly hard to fill post but R's brother went there last year and enjoyed it; want to try the ceviche and roasted guinea pig.
Chennai, India, because R has a friend in Anderson who was born there who says it is the best part of India.
Vietnam, because C's distant relative from Colorado was a teacher there and we love the Vietnamese food
Cuba, because we have always wanted to go there since it has not been allowed.
Guangzhou, China because that is where they do all the adoptions from China. This one city accounts for a third of all international adoptions by American parents.
Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet Republic, because of beautiful mountain scenery.
Most of Latin America is considered a hardship post as well, but they don't sound too bad to us.
POSTS WE LIKE THAT ARE NOT HARDSHIP POSTS, in order of preference:
Japan
Eastern Europe, especially Hungary where R. went on vacation with her Mom
Western Europe, of course.
Scandinavian countries
Bahamas and Caribbean
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Australia & New Zealand
Canada
South Pacific Islands
Bermuda
Iceland
That covers about the whole world, doesn't it.
It took 3 days to pack out. One day to box up and two days to load, because at 5:00 the 2nd day it was apparent that all of our things would not fit on one truck. I was concerned that we would go over our weight limit but the grand total of the first truck's weight was 11,000 pounds. The movers had to pull out the tailgate of the truck and strap 3 mattresses on. Then the next day they returned with another small truck to pick up the items at my office, probably about 600 pounds. 
