SUNDAY, MAY 30th - JUNE 1st 2004
+Off We Go, Into the Wild Blue Yonder+
Today is the beginning of our trip to China to finalize our adoption of Samantha, or "Sam" as most of us now call her. My foremost thought is "Wow, what a journey!" From our decision to reconsider adoption, (Thanksgiving Day 2002), to this day 19 months later; It is amazing to finally arrive at this point. Only a few more days until we get to meet our little one- we are on our way.
As I write this initial email to chronicle our travels, Debbie and I are sitting in the First Class cabin of a Delta 767 bound for Los Angeles, then onward to China on China Southern Airlines. Having just finished the last American food we’ll have for a while, I thought I’d make our first travel-journal entry before taking what I hope will be a two hour nap. We will be in Lanzhou, China one week from today, so not too many butterflies yet. None the less, it’s almost beyond belief that we are actually airborne and on our way.
As I am wearing my travel watch with two faces, (one for home and one for a new time zone), I can convey it is about 8:30pm Houston time as I write this. We will be arriving in Los Angeles at around 9:20pm Pacific (11:20 CST), and departing on our leg for China at midnight (2am Huntsville time). I can sleep at the drop of a hat, ball cap, small visor, etc., so I doubt I’ll be making many entries on the flight over considering we took advantage of the "Business Class" upgrade for adoptive parents, which rivals the first class seats we are currently in. After a good 10 hour snooze, I may be able to recall something of the trans-pacific flight for my next entry- but I can’t promise anything more exciting than the inside of my eyelids. Of course, Deb may pick up the PC and make entries of her own- or play a game if she can’t sleep. I’ve brought along some of her favorite DVD’s to watch on my laptop as she usually doesn’t sleep on an airplane.
The anticipation of what awaits us is profound. For the last six weeks, her image has been on our minds: We hope she has that precocious smile waiting for us that we’ve memorized from her photo. Her name is on our tongue, and in a few days, we will meet her face to face for the first time. We will distract ourselves until June 6th with activities, getting acclimated to China, and so forth. Yet, in the back of our minds will be this little baby that we are longing to hold. We don’t know what she’ll think of us, and I’m sure she has no concept of what is about to happen to her. I hope she is accepting of us, and that the shock isn’t too much for her. If she can sense the deep and powerful love we feel for her already, she’ll know that all is well in her world, and the bonding process will be underway. And so, as I complete this initial entry of our travel-journal, I hope to sleep and dream of our child. I don’t know who wrote the original, but I beg they’ll forgive me as I re-write this prayer to fit our journey:Now I lay me down to sleep,
On our way, our child to meet.
Keep her safe, secure, and warm,
Until we come to take her home.
Amen.
