Too old:

I would just like to point out that I am, in fact, too old to be still living at home if I were the daughter of an Embassy employee. Too old by 5 years at least. So I don't really appreciate being told by someone "I thought you were someone's daughter when I first met you. Then I saw your badge." I know she wasn't trying to be rude, but it kind of is.

Also, I just talked to two different people at American Airlines, and both of them, on hearing my address, thanked me for my service to my country. I don't know if there was a memo about that or if it was just a coincidence, but that's the first time in all my calling back to the US for things that I have gotten that. The first time I didn't really say anything, didn't know what to say, but by the second time I laughed it off saying how Australia isn't exactly a hardship post...

I did sort of appreciate it though. While I love it here and have been very happy, living overseas isn't always the easiest thing ever. The time difference, the difficulty in doing any sort of administrative things, plus the general difficulty in moving to a new place add up to some frustration some times. Occasionally an acknowledgment of that is nice. I would prefer this acknowledgment from for example the Maryland MVA who are total jerks about people serving overseas (I think I may have to actually call my state representative when it's time for emissions to come due), but I'll take it where I can get it.