So Long, Sudan.

Yesterday was Jason's last day at the Sudan Programs Group at the State Department--after two weeks of vacation (during which he apparently means to sleep a lot), he is starting a one-year fellowship on Capitol Hill (during which we will have to become accustomed to sharing the same side of the city). Thursday afternoon his office held a really wonderful farewell party for him, which was attended by all sorts of people with whom he's worked on this issue for the past six years. People said wonderful things about him and his wife nodded in wholehearted agreement. He was lavished with awards and commemorative items, including a framed letter of appreciation from the Assistant Secretary for Africa and a really awesome scrapbook that his staff put together with notes from people who have worked with him--both here and abroad--and newsclips that mention him and his work on Sudan. It was a great way to end a good era of his career.

Jason has been doing Sudan almost as long as I've known him, and it seems strange that I'm no longer married to "that Sudan guy." Now maybe I'll be married to "that guy who works down the hall"...