Travel Approval And Some Tears

I have had travel approval for 4 days now and am just now getting around to posting about it, not because of the holidays or because I've been busy booking tickets, but because I did not WANT to write about it. I will spare the details, but I could have left tomorrow...as in, I had a consulate appointment, I had Gotcha dates...everything. My agency rep had asked if a date would work and my hubby and I checked the prices. It gave me one week until I flew out...so I pulled everything together, flights, costs, everything, and then I called my agency rep back.

Nothing.

I left a message.

Nothing.

So I figured it was done and perhaps my TA hadn't arrived or something.

So I sat over the weekend kind of bummed that it almost came together really quick for me, but oh well.

Then Sun night I got an email at 11:00 at night that said it was all set. Everything was set. 

What?????

I emailed him back and told him I hadn't heard from him since Thur night, he never replied to my phone calls or message I left and by that time it was too late...you can't book flights on an assumption!!!  I tried to pull it back together on Monday, but it could not be done. The prices had skyrocketed over the weekend and my visa was being processed for travel and would be cutting it too close to pull it off. 

Monday morning a different agency rep called and said, "Guess what, Lisa? Your TAs have arrived!" I choked back tears and explained what happened over the weekend. Silence on the other end. She was speechless and didn't know what to say.

Providence? Yeah, fine. But I get irritated when someone who drops the ball chalks it up to providence so they can get off the hook.  Yes, God knew ahead of time that my rep would not do his job, would drop the ball, whatever you want to call it. To blow it at the tail end of someone's adoption is beyond inexcusable. It tacked on an extra 5 weeks to my journey. Most likely Fu Chao was told that I would be there on Monday. My heart was broken. 

I am doing better now. My new flights are booked, my new consulate appointment is set, and I have new Gotcha dates. 

So my NEW schedule is as follows:

Depart from Minneapolis on Feb 7

Gotcha for Fu Chao on Feb 10

Gotcha for Lulu on Feb 17

Consulate Appointment Feb 25

Depart for home on Feb 26

The cool thing is I will be able to celebrate Lily's 6th birthday here, and Johnny's 2 year Gotcha Anniversary...so it all works out!! (I try to see the positive in everything).

Even though sometimes we get dealt a rough deal in life, God always has something up his sleeve. And I'm not one for pouting, complaining, or camping on a rotten attitude. I'm just thankful I'm on this journey...and that this journey will find me in Southern China in 70+ degree weather in Feb!!! ;)