All Aboard!

After a year of paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork along with endless, painful waiting, we were headed to Kazakhstan. Or so we thought..(insert screeching wheels sound here). You see, we had a date to leave and a plane tickets purchased. We had bags packed and our daughter prepped. We had grandparents waiting in the wings to watch her. BUT as some of you know how foreign countries work, we were called at the very last minute that we couldn't board the plane as the country's registrar left on an early holiday. Seriously, is there only one registrar to sign off that the child has been on "the list" for 6 months without any visits? Are you kidding me? Eric rolled with the punches and went to work. I cried all weekend long. I wanted to find my boy.

We left for our first flight over to Kazakhstan via Heathrow airport out of Philadelphia. I was a nervous wreck. It literally made me sick to think of leaving Allyson for three weeks. She was in the very best care after all she was with grandparents ~two sets no less! But I felt so guilty for leaving her. If I had known at the time that I was leaving her for 2 months, I don't know if I would have gotten on the plane. 

I remember checking in for our flights with 2 suitcases and 2 backpacks. The clerk kindly asked, "Kazakhstan? Wow!". Yes, we said. "We're heading to adopt a boy." He asked how old he was? Ha! Told him we had no idea because we were going to Kazakhstan to find him as we didn't even know who is was. Talk about adventure into the unknown. The clerk smiled. Said Congratulations. And upgraded us to first class for our 9 pm flight. Now that was nice! Six hours later we ended up in Heathrow for a layover wait of about 6 hours after which we headed onto the world's smallest plane for the world's longest flight. We arrived in Almaty after a 13 hour flight and had to wait 12 more hours to catch our next one to Astana. 

We stayed at the Kazzhol Hotel (wouldn't recommend it unless you are with a big, burly guy). Then again, if you're with a big burly guy, I can testify took turns sleeping as the "full size" boxspring wouldn't hold the both of us. The doors to the "patio that you don't step out on" didn't have any locks. The bellboys were sleeping on the foyer couches when we arrived and never bother to get up to help carry our bags upstairs (no elevator). However, the shower was the very best shower in the entire world. Or, at least, it seemed like that after traveling for so many hours! 

So after our layover and our stay at the Kazzhol, we headed on board an Air Astana standing room only flight. No worries, we got a seat! But in order to get our boarding passes and our "overweight" luggage on the flight, we had to haggle down our bribe to the porter and then slip the agreed upon amount under the counter. Welcome to Kazakhstan!

One day in and already an adventure!