2024: Warmest Wishes from Japan

As 2024 comes to an end, A.J. and Jen are heading to the airport for the long (but well worth it) flight home to spend the holidays with both sides of the family!

In 2024, Jen continued in the embassy’s Public Affairs Section, supporting Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and visitors like Secretary Blinken for social media and press engagements. A.J. joined the Consular Section, processing visas, visiting Americans in prison, and evacuating Americans out of Lebanon.

Jen and A.J. got to explore more of Japan and Asia! In February, they spent 6 weeks in Fukuoka for a temp assignment and took a 10-day roadtrip around Kyushu Island, filled with volcanoes and hot springs!

A.J. checking out the world’s largest caldera in Kyushu, Japan!

For A.J.’s big 40th birthday, they spent a week hiking in northern Hokkaido with friends, and in the summer, camping on the remote island Kozushima, snorkeling and star gazing.

They found time for a few international adventures to Singapore, Taiwan, and Bali! Of course, the best memories were with visiting family.

A.J. and his sister Megan at the Sensoji Shrine in Tokyo.

A.J.’s parents with Mt. Fuji during the clear winter.

Jen’s parents on Miyajima Island in the spring.

Jen and James exploring Kanazawa shrines and gardens in the fall.

And big news: they’re preparing for a whole new adventure in the new year….

Can’t wait to add the new carry-on!

Warmest wishes from Japan,
Jennifer & A.J.

2023: Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Jen & A.J. are writing this from their cozy apartment in the heart of Tokyo, where they’ve now lived for almost six months!

2023 was another big year. In February, A.J. left his job at the Department of Commerce to try his hand in the private sector as a data analyst. He lived and worked with his family in Miami for six months and seriously considered becoming a “Florida man,” but fortunately was pulled back from the brink and joined Jen for their next diplomatic adventure. In June they moved to Tokyo, where Jen works in the U.S. Embassy Press Office.

Mother-daughter Alaskan cruise

A highlight of 2023 was Jen and A.J.’s first “Home Leave.” Home Leave is a month-long congressionally-mandated vacation for every diplomat after a tour abroad, to re-acclimate to the good ol’ U.S.A. They took full advantage, heading West to visit Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks. After, Jen went on to an Alaskan cruise with her mom to see glaciers, whales, and an almost-never-setting summer sun. Truly the trip of a lifetime!

So far in Japan, Jen and A.J. have hiked in the “Japanese Alps,” visited the stunning 10,000 orange-gated shrine in Kyoto, and eaten more bowls of ramen than they dare admit.

Mt Fuji in the background.

They are looking forward to hosting A.J.’s parents for the holidays, Jen’s parents for Cherry Blossom Season in the spring, and any other visitors who want to come experience the largest city in the world!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and cheers to 2024 - or rather, “kanpai!”

Kyoto’s famous Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine

2022: Happy Holidays!

Jen’s parents visited Haiti in July - it was so great to have them there to experience everything, from the compound hangouts to the 4th of July party!

Spending Thanksgiving with A.J.’s family in New Jersey!

Happy holidays! A.J. and Jen are writing from the good ol’ United States of America! Per tradition, here’s their annual Q&A to give you all the details of their international lives:

Q: Are you still in Haiti?
A: No! Jen finished her 2-year tour in August. She and A.J. are together back in DC until they go to Tokyo. It is fantastic to be together again and taking advantage of everything around DC, from hiking and events to seeing friends and family.

Q: When do you move to Japan?
A: A.J. and Jen are moving to Japan in June 2023! Until then, A.J. is still working at the Department of Commerce and Jen is in training every day, learning Japanese. 日本に行きます！

A.J. speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where he was part of the Department of Commerce’s team - January 2022.

Q: What did you two get up to this year?
A: A lot! The majority of the time was still spent with Jen in Haiti and A.J. working in DC - but there was some great traveling, professional moments, and family time:

2021: Peace, Love, & Joy

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!

2020: Happiest Holidays

Wow, we’ve made it to the end of this year! 

I hope you are healthy and safe; fortunately at the writing of this letter, we and all of our family are healthy and we’re very grateful.

Where do we start with 2020? On the very first day of this year, we got engaged! Six weeks later, we were married in what turned out to be the last time most of us were in a group of over 10 people. Talk about timing. 

As newlyweds during the outbreak of a global pandemic, we quickly got to know even more about each other. We spent every day teleworking at the same table in our one-bedroom apartment in DC. AJ only speaks fondly of trying to have his Zoom meetings while Jen was speaking either Haitian Kreyol or French, every day, across from him, for months in her online training for the Foreign Service. Though AJ did get to taste test the Haitian rum punch and pumpkin soup that Jen learned how to cook in her classes.

Fortunately in the summer we were able to see some family safely, and that continues to be a highlight of this year. We love and miss you all!

While the pandemic did delay some things, Jen was off to Haiti at the end of August, only about six weeks behind the original schedule. In October, AJ joined her on the US government compound, where we’ve moved up from our one-bedroom apartment to a full three-bedroom, two story house (and two balconies and a patio!). Thank you, US government!  

Since August, Jen has been going into the US Embassy every day, where she sees American citizens who need new or emergency passports, or are passing along citizenship to a child that was born in Haiti. This means a lot of crying babies.

AJ is still at the Department of Commerce where he was first a contractor for many years and then became a federal employee this year. He was at the front lines of the Payroll Protection Program assistance that the government passed this summer, and has been helping foreign companies who operate in the US to support their American workers. 

What a year. Given an engagement, wedding, new jobs, and moving to Haiti, we’ve gotten quite a few questions, so we’ve put together the following FAQ for you: 

Frequently Asked Questions, Jen and AJ 2020 Edition: 

On top of La Citadelle, the largest fort in the Western Hemisphere that Haiti built after it won its independence from France in 1804.

1. Are AJ and Jen both in Haiti?
   Yes, right now AJ is in Haiti with Jen! He still has his same job at the Department of Commerce, and is teleworking - an easy transition since Haiti is in the same timezone as DC. He also brought his racing bike and has hooked it up to an indoor trainer, which almost makes up for not being able to ride around the DC trails this Fall.

2. What are they doing in Haiti? 

   In January, Jen started a new job with the US State Department’s Foreign Service. This is a fancy name for the US diplomats that work in our embassies around the world, serving American citizens and promoting US policies. The Foreign Service assigned her to Haiti for her first two-year tour. She’ll live here until Fall 2022.

3. But you still have a DC address - why?

   AJ may be called back into the office anytime in 2021, and we didn’t want to leave him homeless. He’s still renting in DC so he has a home base. Jen does have a Haiti address but it’s a weird diplomatic PO box. If you want it, please reach out!

4. Why doesn’t AJ move to Haiti full-time?
   AJ has a great job and became a federal employee in January this year - a huge accomplishment! If he moved to Haiti, he would have to give up that job and just spend his days drinking Haitian rum by the compound pool…. Wait a minute….

5. And what about COVID?
   Haiti is doing pretty okay with COVID and because of the political unrest and insecurity, all US government workers already live on a compound, which has essentially become a COVID-free bubble. Jen is expected to get the COVID vaccine early in the new year through the Embassy, and everyone is required to wear masks in the office.

6. How are you wrapping up 2020?
   AJ will still be in Haiti through the holidays and we’ll be able to celebrate our first Christmas together! We’re missing all of our family and friends, but are so grateful for being able to stay in touch and we’re looking forward to hopefully seeing more people in the new year. 

Thank you for being a part of our 2020. Have the happiest of holidays!

Love,
AJ & Jen