Here we go

There's nothing like the feeling of instantaneously waking up in the morning and panicking at all you have to do... and also feeling as though you have left a few too many things to the last minute and you will not be getting them all done. Thus begins my day.

We leave tomorrow morning, bright and early for the airport and it still feels unreal. I think it is this unreal feeling that is causing most of my procrastination. You know, why work on the to-do list if it isn't going to happen? This morning's panic was probably caused by the realization by at least part of my brain that I'm getting on a plane tomorrow morning whether I've believed it is really happening or not.

J. is currently on his way home from Iowa where he was dropping TM off at my brother and sister-in-law's. The other five younger ones need to pack so they can move to our friends, the H-S family. The older ones, not being needed back at school for quite some time, will be in charge of the house and animals. M. is planning on checking in with everyone frequently once she finishes tech rehearsals for the show she is currently working on. P. has had her clothes to pack in a pile for days waiting for me to tell her where to pack. I shall try to do something more than move stuff around and/or numb my brain with idle facebook staring which is pretty much how I've spent the past week. As I've said before, I'm not really on the top of my game at the moment.

For those who will be following along, here is a brief sketch of our itinerary for the next 19 days.

Jan. 3 - Tomorrow we fly from here to Shanghai, where we will get to meet the people who made it possible for us to bring our girls home.

Jan. 6 - We fly from Shanghai to Urumqi, Xinjiang province where Y. is currently living. Currently, their temperatures sound a lot like Chicago's, so we should manage just fine.

Jan. 7 - We meet Y. The next few days we spend doing adoption-related stuff. They are expediting her adoption, so we don't have much time, though I'm hoping to get to visit her Social Welfare Institute.

Jan. 10 - We fly from Urumqi to Zhengzhou, Henan province. We will also be meeting up with our travel group at this point. We've been to Zhengzhou before as it is where H. was from.

Jan. 11 - We meet R. Once again, the rest of the week will be spent passing time and doing adoption stuff.

Jan. 17 - We fly to Guangzhou, where the US consulate is. More paperwork happens, including the visa physicals.

Jan. 20 - Consulate appointment, where the visa paperwork and swearing in happen. We will receive the girls' passports with their special visas within the next 48 hours, allowing us to fly home and the girls to enter the US as citizens.

Jan. 22 - We wake up bright and early to take a two-hour van ride over to Hong Kong, from where we will board our last flight home. It's that weird direction where we arrive home about ten minutes after (by the clock) that we took off.

And my last little bit of news, filed under the category, "if it can go wrong it will," that has so plagued this adoption... as I was finishing up writing this, I had another phone call from J. He now has a flat tire and the part to get off the special anti-theft lug nut is missing from the jack set. He will now call AAA and wait (hopefully not for too long) to get the tire changed.

I will practice my deep breathing exercises.

(Edited to add, J. got the tire changed and made it home. We're all good here.)

Comments

asian~treasures said…
Praying for safety, calmness & excited anticipation as you head out!
Jena said…
So excited for you!!!
Anonymous said…
I'm printing out your itinerary so that I can focus on those things each day. Peace and joy to you and J (and everyone else) while you travel. - Hannah B

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