Ciudad Juarez - Post Report Question and Answers
What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Leaving the area on vacation, or the weekends in El Paso. - Feb 2023
We were able to visit many of the national parks in the Southwest. Much of Chihuahua, including the famous El Chepe train, is off-limits. - Mar 2022
Traveling throughout Mexico, the food, and the culture. The community is great. People really like access to the Southwest US. - Jun 2019
There are many fun trips in the Southwestern US. Travel to other parts of Mexico requires flights. Travel in the area is complicated by the security situation. - Feb 2019
The food! The cafeteria at the Consulate serves up affordable home-style Mexican and American food for breakfast and lunch. Even the locals love it. Their are so many culinary options to explore from taco shacks to white table cloth dining. Also, traveling within Mexico from Juarez is easy and relatively inexpensive. - Jan 2019
Highlights have been the amazingly delicious food, the caring environment at the Montessori school, and the incredible friendliness of the Mexican people. - Jun 2016
Great consulate community. Some will say Juarez doesn't count as living abroad, but I disagree. Juarez and El Paso, while closely linked, are very different places. You can enjoy the unique aspects of Mexican culture while having the convenience of U.S. amenities just across the border. - Apr 2016
Making local friends, being invited for holidays by my Mexican neighbors, having "brave" friends and family come to visit (there is something about Juarez; it is so authentic and everyone that visited me absolutely loved it), the housing (it's huge and nice), the Consulate community (I didn't realize this at first, but we come away knowing SO MANY FSOs and make a lot of connections in two short years. Also, there is credibility to having served in Juarez: not just related to the city but also the tremendous reputation/experience gained in one of the world's best-run, largest Consulates). - Apr 2016
The people of Juarez are incredible. There is a strong sense of pride here and I find it amazing and heartening that after the violence this city endured over the last decade and a half or so the people are not broken or even guarded. I have heard terrifying stories from people who lived through the worst of it and yet they are still here and they have not lost faith in humanity. It's a real inspiration. - Dec 2015
Traveling in Mexico, time with co-workers and their families. - Aug 2015
1.) Coworkers- some great FSOs and awesome ELOs. 2.) Varied work- about 14 months in IV and the rest of the time in NIV/or possibility scoring a 2, 4, or 6-month rotation. Volunteer opportunities to be a control officer for one of the many visiting groups. 3.) TDYs- great opportunity to work at another consulate in Mexico or the Embassy-- and a great way to see if you would enjoy a possible future tour in the other location 4.) Life on the border- what an experience. Juarez is as much a representation of Mexico as El Paso is the U.S.- the border area is different and unique. 5.) Tourism to various parts of the Southwest (New Mexico is a hidden gem!!) and various trips to southern Mexico. - Jun 2015
Great weather and easy access to U.S. - Jun 2014
Ease of access to everything you are used to. Affordability of domestic help. - Aug 2013
The food and local staff are the best things about this post. - Aug 2013
We have made great friends at the consulate and in El Paso. Easy weekend trips to some of the popular Mexican vacation destinations (i.e. Cancun, Tulum, etc.). Great hiking opportunities in El Paso. Skiing is available just 3 hours north of El Paso. The cost of living is VERY cheap. - Jun 2013
The people. Chihuahuenses are really warm people and the FS and local staff at the consulate are wonderful. - Jul 2011
It has been a great experience getting to know my fellow entry level officers and FSNs. Being at such a large posts gives you many opportunities to network. Also, management provides many interesting projects off the visa line for entry level officers. Those have been very interesting as well. - Jun 2011
