FINALLY
TA!
Well now that was a..a...a record breaking, insanely long time. And China granted us permission to roll the dice and move our mice outta the travel approval(TA) mousetrap! Praise GOD!
Typically families travel within 2- 3 weeks after they receive their CA. CA stands for consulate appointment. It is the last official adoption appointment and they complete the children's visa to leave China and enter the US as legal citizen's. Now having said that, because of the Chinese trade fair in October and the American Consulate closing for an entire week in October, many families are in line already for the November CA dates. Our CA date was issued for over a month later. so what does that mean?
MORE
STINKING
WAITING
UGHHHHHHHHHH!
I was so hoping to get this adoption done in a year, not gonna happen now. We started November 14, 2011. So much for plans, right????
But, here is our travel itinerary:
8 November- Fly from Little Rock to Chicago. Board a very LONNNNGGG flight to Hong Kong. Stay until 11 November to acclimate to time difference and sight see.
11 November- Take train to Guangzhou, China. This is the city that Tim and Kate live in and we will be there for our entire trip.
12 November- GOTCHA DAY
The official day we finally meet these two cuties for the first time. They finally get a Mama and Baba.
We have our CA(consulate appointment) in the American Consulate in Guangzhou, China on November 20, 2012. They are officially a Brakman!
November 21- Pick up Tim and Kate's visa's and catch the train out of town for Hong Kong.
November 22- Leave their homeland China, until we return for a visit in a few years. Super long flight back to Chicago and then the really bad deal....we can't fly home due to holiday flying schedule. So, we fly to Memphis and drive 3 hours home.
YEAH.....SO....after all 18 hours, flying, wrestling kiddo's, custom's, bag drag, security check, another flight to Memphis and finally more baggage, bus to rental car and then we are off. Not to mention Tim and Kate have never been in a car seat, like EVER! So 3 hours in one, for the first time won't be a challenge...RIGHT?
I'm positive THIS will be an adventure of a life time! Can't wait to live it...and I'm sure it will generate so many interesting stories for the blog!
