We've FINALLY Been Paneled!

As all of you know, our bid list came out in mid-August and was submitted in late October. We hymned and hawed about where we wanted to go... back to the States where Matt would be a supervisor in a field office, or stay overseas for 1 more tour. The selection was grim. Not only were there limited options for a family with a child going into kindergarten, but there was also an increased competition for the few available spots. We had the opportunity to put down 13 locations, though we could only find 6 where we were willing to go.

With careful consideration for our family structure, Matt's career, and opportunities for us as a family, here are the 6 places that we put on our bid list back in October. In order they were:

1. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (Africa)
2. Lilongwe, Malawi (Africa)
3. Chennai, India (South East Asia)
4. Gaborone, Botswana (Africa)
5. Tunis, Tunisia (Africa)
6. Belmopan, Belize (Central America)

In late May we will be leaving Tel Aviv for our mandatory home leave in California, and then in late July / early August we will be heading out for another 3 year tour to....................................................

Chennai, India

Chennai is a large city on the south eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal, with a population over 7 million people. It is the fourth largest city in India and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Matt will be the Regional Security Officer (RSO) for the consulate in Chennai, with a staff reporting to him, and additional oversight in southern India.

We are absolutely thrilled to be heading out to India for our last tour before we go back to the States. Matt is ecstatic with his assignment, I'm excited for our new adventure, and Chennai is a great jumping off point to the Maldives, Thailand, and other areas we've always wanted to vacation. Additionally, Lufthansa has daily direct flights from Frankfurt to Chennai! What more could we ask?

We don't have a lot of information as we were just paneled today. We'll keep you posted on our details as they come along.