One Week Countdown!

One week from today, we'll be headed to our daughter's birth country.  We'll spend about a month there, completely immersed in her birth culture and wrapped up in our own cocoon as a family of four.  I am so excited and so completely terrified at the same time.

Visas in hand!  We took a trip to Atlanta to the Colombian Consulate.

With the exception of a cruise and a trip to Canada, neither of us have traveled internationally before.  In fact, we got our passports for the purpose of this trip.  Neither of us speak Spanish.  Philip at least took it in high school, but I took French.  Bonjour!  Sorry, Mrs. Bagwell, but my ability to sing Jingle Bells en francais is not much help right now.  ("Joyeusement, heureusement, teintent les grelot...")

But, we are as prepared as we'll ever be.

We've researched the travel and the cities.  I've read lots of blogs of others who stayed in Cali and Bogota, the two cities we'll stay in.  We've had the wonderful benefit of following along with a family that is left Colombia TODAY with their two new sons.  Their boys were at Chiquitines along with Luisa, and they have shared a wealth of information with us about the process, things to do in town, etc. 

I've read through lists others have posted about what they are glad they packed and what they wish they hadn't taken.  Packing for a month is a daunting task, especially packing for a child you don't know!  We are taking lots of crafty things (playdoh, coloring books, paper/scissors/glue) to help pass the time we will be spending in the apartment.  We are also taking lots of movie.  And popcorn.  I have heard that snack foods are hard to come by down there.  We will be mostly cooking our meals.  Groceries and eating out are both inexpensive.  (I am wondering how difficult it will be to stay gluten free in Colombia.)  However, toys/clothes/material items are much MORE expensive than in the states.

Cali has a tropical climate, so we'll be packing warm weather clothes to wear there.  It is hot and humid.  We both grew up on the Gulf Coast, so it will be nothing new.  Bogota, where our last week to ten days will be spent, has a cool climate.  The average high is 66 degrees, and the average low is 44 degrees.  We will be packing layers for this leg of the trip!

We are trying to wrap everything up here.  Everything I am planning to pack is being corralled in Luisa's room.  I am wondering how on earth it will fit into our suitcases.  We have some awesome friends and family here that will take care of everything stateside while we are away.  They are cutting our grass, keeping our dogs (thanks, Mom and Dad!), getting all of the girls' winter clothes ready for when we return, getting our mail,  hanging pictures of the four of us in Colombia on our walls before we return, stocking our refrigerator, and bathing us in prayer.  We are so grateful to have such awesome support!