Packing list: school work, games, art supplies, swim suits, books, laptop for movies, protein powder & blender (yes, we are THOSE kind of people), tons of ziplock bags, pillows, receipt book, passports, paper saying we are officially ok to bring someone back with us. We won't have room for clothes or shoes, so we'll just have to wear 6 layers on the way there. :)
Itinerary: Here is the REALLY fun part. We fly standby. Eeeks! We like to add as much stress as we possibly can...and flying standby internationally is about the best way to do it. Stay tuned for the final rundown of how we arrived, it should be rather interesting. We will not know which flights we are going to get on until 10 minutes before it takes off. Same at the next stop. Which cities will we be passing through? Who knows, it's a mystery. Kind of like the toy at the bottom of a cereal box. Only WAY more annoying. We've left ourselves 5 days to get there, if that gives you an idea.
Thoughts going through our head: Will the cat and dog actually die while we're gone? (they are REAL old, and get mad at us even when we leave for one night.) Will our cars start when we get back? Will our little girl actually want to go with us? Talk about the importance of "first impressions"! What exactly should we say and do when we first see her? How do you say "Where is the toilet paper?" Will our Google Translate saved phrases work on our phones over there? Is this really happening!? Should we buy a gift for the foster mother, and how do you say "Thank you for taking care of this baby her whole life...we'll take her now." Yikes. Where in the world did I put that Magic Mesh Screen Door for the patio door (as seen on TV!)? Did you call the eye doctor and get your new glasses? Need to write up a list of things that need to be done while we're gone. We have to pay the library fine! HOA says we need to fix the garage trim and the yard or get a fine....thank you so much for the extra stress. Garage door done! ....and 247 more random worries.
Best thing about this trip: Our first European vacation! Time to unwind and just spend 6 weeks as a "new" family. We'll never get to spend this much time away from everyday responsibilities again, until I win the bonus round on Wheel Of Fortune, which is in my 5 year plan. Focus will be on getting to know eachother and bonding...by the pool of course.
Our "apartment": We'll be staying almost the entire time here. Love the little patio right by the pool!!
We just received our provisional approval and will be at the same apartment complex as you June 8th! Hopefully we'll be near each other. Can't wait to meet in person.
ReplyDeleteMichelle & Brian