Tuesday, June 4, 2013

"When I said I wanted you to take me to Hawaii, this is not what I meant..." or 27 hours, 4 sunrises and sunsets and a detour to Hawaii...

We are in Hawaii. Not a part of the plan. It all started right on schedule. We left our hotel and the Braddocks this morning with many tears. I think Gracie and Nina said goodbyes more than a handful of times, including Gracie getting out of the bus for the final time and running in to throw her arms around her. So sweet. But we still got to the airport on time with passports, Audrey, Rose, Gracie, Matt, Emma, me and all of our many "we are going to travel light" suitcases. We even made it to our plane on time and then seated ahead of schedule. And then we sat. Our first flight to Seoul was delayed. And then delayed again. The first delay was for a late passenger and the second several hour delay was because we lost our place in line for take off and had to sit and wait in Beijing airport for a moment that wasn't so busy.

Flight finally takes off around the same time our flight in Seoul Korea is leaving for Seattle Washington - without us. We arrive in Korea and there is nowhere to send us. Seoul? And we can't find a closer destination to Seattle than Hawaii? Yep. Hawaii. So off we go after several hours to Hawaii. We are on our way to Hawaii as we should be landing in Seattle.

Aloha! Beautiful Hawaii and a very small airport is the entry for our newly adopted daughter. And since they are unsure as to what to do with her at immigration, they send us to the waiting area for those wanting to start the forms and paperwork to immigrate.

It has been a long long long flight. We are all very very tired. It has been 5 renewals of our paperwork with the USC***IS and thousands of dollars, appointments, paperwork and fingerprinting to make it possible to hand over this beautiful, organized, sealed, official envelope to the regular old immigration desk in the regular citizen line. I get a little frustrated while attempting to share the way it is supposed to happen with an officer who has never heard of it and is searching the rule book. One hour. Finally, they figure it out and tell us we just need the envelope and she should become a citizen... they think... and we should receive documents in the mail. I hold back my husband. We have to fly to make our next flight. Our team of 6 is tired, needing bottles, diaper changes (you can't do that in the "area"), a trip to the bathroom, a change of clothes, and a breath of fresh tropical air...which we get first and second and third as we lose our sense of direction to the check in (we had to go outside the airport and back to the check-in and ticketing area...). We run out of formula since we were planning to have already arrived. I have a very hungry baby. So, I go to the nearest possible source of milk. Starbucks. Venti steamer please. No. I don't want hazelnut. I am pretty sure the flight attendant was giving me the evil eye when she saw me filling my daughter's bottle from my Starbucks cup. Don't judge. I didn't explain that it was simply milk. More fun to let her wonder. :)

Finally, after 28 hours of flying and layovers and 3 sunrises, we land in Seattle. Dreamy, tired, glad to be here. We have landed for at least 4 days with family before we start the next leg of the journey.

Emma has done well. Our group of little travelers is tired, but has done well. And I am grateful and tired. Emma is swept away into Auntie E's adoring arms and we tuck Emma into her first ride in a car seat. Mission accomplished. I have to laugh. I have been asking for a trip to Hawaii. I guess you have to be careful about what you request. Be a little more specific about length, time, you know. I am still a little bitter that I didn't get that lei and an official "Aloha."

No comments: