Did you know that contrary to popular belief, sign language is not universal? Although the exact number of sign languages around the world is still unknown, 19 deaf track and field athletes communicated through a universal language that they all could understand last week: sports.

I was lucky enough to meet these energetic, young athletes and their six coaches from the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands who were here in the United States participating in a Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Sports Visitors program.  

My team and I at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, had the privilege to welcome Secretary Kerry to Sweden on May 14th and 15th.  The Secretary visited Stockholm and Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city.  It was the first time a Secretary of State traveled to two Swedish cities in one visit and the second time we welcomed a Secretary of State to Sweden during the past year (Secretary Clinton was here last June). MORE

1.  The Arctic Council is comprised of eight member countries: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. MORE

Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Rome 10 weeks ago, but welcoming him back to Italy again is special, for we share much history and a long friendship.  We both were the sons of diplomats who served in post-war Europe, and as young boys we both lived through the Marshall Plan and have similar memories of Europe’s rebirth from the destruction of WWII.  Later as young men, we became close friends during college, playing soccer for Yale, touring Europe in a London taxicab I bought, and serving together in Vietnam.  In addition to welcoming back an old friend, however, the Secretary’s May 8-9 visit to Italyprovided the opportunity for the United States to advance diplomacy on the Syrian crisis and Middle East peace with Jordan, Israel, the Quartet on the Middle East, and our key ally Italy, reminding us all that the ancient maxim still rings true: all roads really do lead to Rome. MORE

Representing America is something that every employee at the State Department takes pride in.  Our work takes us to all four corners of the globe, some that are historically or culturally significant, some awe-inspiring, some hard to get to, and even some that put us in harm’s way.  Many of our colleagues overseas keep in touch with their families and friends at home by sharing images of their travels on social networking sites such as Facebook or Instagram.  Below are a few photos submitted by our colleagues who work in our Foreign Service and Civil Service that together make up our State Department family.  Each photo tells a personal story about our engagement in the world.  For more information on joining us, visit careers.state.gov. MORE

Wheels up!  Secretary Kerry just wrapped up his two-day visit to Moscow, his first to Russia as Secretary of State — and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you.  His trip occurred as part of an intensified set of contacts with senior Russian officials this year leading up to a meeting between President Obama and President Putin on the sidelines of the G-8 meeting in June, to be followed by President Obama’s visit to Russia in September. MORE

When the fighting died down, he was taken to a nearby USAID-supported field hospital, where doctors found a closed fracture in his right leg and shrapnel wounds in his left foot. Luckily, the femoral artery in his leg was not hit and he only suffered a bone fracture, but no displacement. The doctors removed the shrapnel, cleaned the wounds, and cast his right leg. MORE