One thing I didn’t realize when we moved to Brindisi, is that I as a UN spouse would be forced to retire. The UN employment rules require non-professional positions to go to Local Nationals. I have been having a hard time accepting it but I was told at a meeting with other UN spouses that they had a hard at the start but came to eventually accept it. The spouses that have not been able to accept retirement as a way of life, have moved back to their country of origin to work while their spouses work here. I guess the UN doesn’t believe in keeping families together. I keep hearing that they just don’t care. For an organization that does so much for Human Rights, it was hard for me to believe that they would treat the family unit as an expendable entity. It does make me sad but slowly, I am accepting my inability to work locally. Of course it doesn’t stop me from looking within Italy, I’m not ready to go home yet.