Overview

I followed the path I was told would lead to stability and purpose. I went to college and fought my way out of Queens, shaped by a first-generation American upbringing in a Haitian household led by a single mother who modeled resilience long before I had the language for it. I learned early how to survive, how to adapt, and how to find joy anyway on New York City streets and in dreaming beyond my zip code. That resilience carried me into a career in global diplomacy. I built a life serving on the frontlines of USAID and working across Africa and Southeast Asia to advance public health outcomes and resilience. For years, the vision was coming together. I finally reached the bridge to the life I had spent decades building. Then the bridge collapsed. This is not a story about a single failure. It is a memoir of endurance inside systems that quietly work against the people who serve them. As a Black woman in the Foreign Service, I navigated global health crises, shrinking aid budgets, institutional burnout, and the unspoken costs of leadership. At the same time, I became a caregiver to my mother as she entered dementia, returning emotionally and physically to the role that first shaped me. I loved through pain, carried responsibility while depleted, and continued to lead even as grief took hold. It was an education in how grief, responsibility, and leadership coexist. But this is also a story about living. About friendship, laughter, late nights, music, and learning how to belong in places far from home. About falling in love along the way, and about discovering parts of myself that only emerged when I allowed joy to exist alongside duty. This book examines what happens when leadership demands certainty while life offers none. When diplomacy is dismantled. When careers fracture. When caregiving collides with duty. When the second act arrives without warning. It is also a story of movement, curiosity, and wonder. It is about learning cultures through food, language, rhythm, and people. It is about how travel can be both an escape and an education. And it is about discovering that while escape is an illusion, building a life of meaning and purpose is not. This memoir is for: Women who refuse to be defined by where they come from or what the system predicts. First-generation Americans and children of immigrants carving their own paths. Young people navigating identity, ambition, and uncertain futures. Caregivers carrying loss while still being expected to perform. Travelers and the curious at heart who want to experience the beauty of cultures and glimpse the raw unscripted reality of life in the Foreign Service. Anyone seeking to understand the deep fulfillment of a life rooted in service, resilience, and purpose.

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Jennifer Erie, also known as 'Fête Jen', is a seasoned international development professional, diplomat, creative entrepreneur, and passionate cultural ambassador. Born and raised in Queens, New York to Haitian immigrant parents, Jennifer's career spans over two decades dedicated to public service, health, community development, and the transformative power of creative arts.As a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for over 15 years, Jennifer has led significant global health programs across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, focusing on HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, global health security, malaria, gender-based violence, youth empowerment, and mental health. Her tenure at USAID included assignments in South Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and Southern Africa, where she integrated public health strategies with innovative cultural platforms to amplify marginalized voices and promote human dignity.Beyond her diplomatic endeavors, Jennifer is an accomplished creative arts producer and philanthropist through her Fête Jen enterprise. She established performance arts platforms supporting emerging artists in Tanzania and regionally. She manages talent in the creative industries, and produces literary pieces, songs and music videos. This unique enterprise combines her love for storytelling, international travel, cultural retreats, arts programming, talent management, social impact and philanthropy advising. Jennifer holds a master's degree from American University and a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University. She began her international journey as a study abroad student in Zimbabwe in the early 1990s followed by becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa. Her personal experiences, navigating complex cultural dynamics, career transitions, and family legacies, form the heart of her memoir, ""The World In My Bones: The Diplomat Queens Made."" Through her storytelling, she seeks to inspire others to embrace unexpected paths, celebrate cultural connections, and pursue transformative impact.Jennifer resides in the U.S., continuing her journey as a global citizen, championing creative expression, holistic wellness, and centering service in all that she does. She can be reached on fetejen@gmail.com.

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