Where will we move to next?

Every two or three years Ryan will go through the bidding process.  The first two posts are a bit different because it is a directed bid.  We receive a list of 30+ posts which we research so we can decide where we would like to go.  We then submit that list in order of preference and get sent wherever it is they want to send us.  We lucked out the first time and were sent to Brussels.  This time around it has become a little more complicated.  Nicholas' medical clearance has changed and we need to find a school that has the learning support we need.  I didn't think that would be a problem.  At the time school ended the only extra help he was receiving was with his writing.  The school also needs to be in a city where we can find a (English speaking) Occupational Therapist and Speech Therapist.  It ended up being a lot harder than I thought.

We immediately took the list and crossed off the posts where they didn't have the schooling we needed for our kids.  Next we crossed of the posts where I thought there was a high likelihood we could be killed or kidnapped.  I'm picky like that.  We then had a nice organized spreadsheet of all these wonderful (or not so wonderful) places we could live.

At every post we contacted schools to see if they would accept our youngest child.  Our choices were narrowed down very quickly.  I added back in the places where there was a high likelihood we could be killed or kidnapped and hoped we wouldn't end up going there.  We contacted the health units at the posts to see if they knew of services in the community and looked at other schools.  Finally we had four cities on the top of the list where the schools submitted in writing* that the services we needed were there.  We then had a middle list of cities where the services we needed were available but the schools had not replied back to us before the deadline.  At the bottom of our list was those places that we could not go.

In July we received our new post assignment.  It was to a location from the section of the list that we noted  "Do not send us here, the services we need are not available."  Well, maybe those weren't the exact words, but they were very close to that.  As you can imagine, we will not be going there.

So, we don't yet know where we are going.  We have a couple of places that "might" be options.  It may be months before we find out.

But eventually we will know where we will move next.  I'll keep you posted.


*We are required to have confirmation in writing from the schools that the services we need are available.