Happy Fourth of July... from Mauritania!

OK… so I can see many of you already shaking your heads wondering, “Where are you, Carl?”… and the other question everyone asked before I got out here, “Where’s Mauritania?”.  Well, the answers are (1) I’m in Nouakchott, Mauritania this summer for a long term TDY assignment and (2) Mauritania – officially known as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania – is a country located in the Sahara Desert in Western Africa.

I arrived a few weeks ago and started getting settled into my new assignment, albeit temporary.  This place definitely took some getting used to (given the fact I don’t speak French and typically obey traffic laws) but the American Embassy community has been very welcoming.  Although the days here can be long, the weeks are flying by.  And despite the long hours, I’ve had the chance to see some pretty beautiful sights while I’ve been here (although you should be warned – the pictures below are the only beautiful sights in Mauritania – there’s little else here besides more sand… along with donkeys and camels).

Sunset in the Sahara

See how natural and untouched this looks

It's quite relaxing to sit and enjoy the sound of the waves

I was working (hence all the gear under my shirt) but stopped for a quick picture... Tough day at work!

Fast forward to today… the Fourth of July.  Although I’ve been celebrating the Fourth of July earlier than most of you in the United States (since there’s a 5 hour time difference here in Nouakchott compared to Texas), I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July!  I’m celebrating the holiday by working all day (and most of the night) getting ready for American Embassy Nouakchott’s Annual Fourth of July Celebration.  It’s typically the “big event of the year” so everyone is putting on their best suit or dress (the one they try to keep pristine since there’s no dry cleaning here) and coming in for the event.

So… while I’ll be celebrating the Fourth of July a little differently than most of you (hopefully without any fireworks… in my line of work, fireworks aren’t a good thing), I hope all of you are enjoying your summer and particularly the Fourth of July!