Getting Caught Up
Getting here.
2:30 pm on Friday the 19th of May our trip begins. The journey had begun many months ago (18 or so), when we started exploring adoption.
We had made arrangements to get picked up at 2PM and were packing until 2:30 so, as you might have guessed, we left a little late. Our timeline was a bit off as we spent a few hours looking for Clara the night before (she’s still out there somewhere). Clara if you are reading this please come home.
After we arrive at JFK we realize how much luggage we actually have (a lot). We find a safe corner and make some adjustments. Then, off to British Airways where we navigate the crowd and make our way through the line. It was quite a surprise when learned the weight restrictions on luggage included both carry on (14 pounds) and checked.
So, we think *&^@#! Then, we step out of line, Geoff goes to buy a bag and we figure out how to repack to meet the requirements. It all worked out, we made the flight and slept most of the way from JFK to London. From there we catch a plane to Almaty, Kazakhstan (via Yekaterinburg, Russia). We arrive in Kazakhstan very early Sunday Morning.
So, picture this: it’s 3AM in Kazakhstan. We get off the plane with the other 8 passengers (the rest got off in Russia) and go to the terminal. There is a woman at the gate holding a sign that says Horowitz. We figure that this is the guide/translator waiting for us so we approach her with a big hello and she promptly turns around and walks to an elevator. We look at each other, shrug our shoulders and follow her.
Forty minutes later, we have made our way through customs, have met Lola, our real guide, and are on our way to a hotel. We get to our room and another adventure begins.
It’s now 4:30 and we have a tiny room with tiny twin beds and the bare necessities. The beds aren’t made, the bathroom is wet with towels on the floor and we are TIRED. We can pretty much deal with anything as we know we are only hours away from meeting our baby (who is he or she we keep wondering). Geoff went back downstairs and after standing politely next to three tough looking guys who were talking with the hotel clerk, he interrupted their conversation. 20 minutes later our sheets were being changed. It was 5:30AM Sunday morning, we are just getting to bed, Lola was coming back to take us sightseeing with another US couple at 11:30AM. And, we had another flight at 6:30 pm to our final destination; Karaganda. Whew……………
2:30 pm on Friday the 19th of May our trip begins. The journey had begun many months ago (18 or so), when we started exploring adoption.
We had made arrangements to get picked up at 2PM and were packing until 2:30 so, as you might have guessed, we left a little late. Our timeline was a bit off as we spent a few hours looking for Clara the night before (she’s still out there somewhere). Clara if you are reading this please come home.
After we arrive at JFK we realize how much luggage we actually have (a lot). We find a safe corner and make some adjustments. Then, off to British Airways where we navigate the crowd and make our way through the line. It was quite a surprise when learned the weight restrictions on luggage included both carry on (14 pounds) and checked.
So, we think *&^@#! Then, we step out of line, Geoff goes to buy a bag and we figure out how to repack to meet the requirements. It all worked out, we made the flight and slept most of the way from JFK to London. From there we catch a plane to Almaty, Kazakhstan (via Yekaterinburg, Russia). We arrive in Kazakhstan very early Sunday Morning.
So, picture this: it’s 3AM in Kazakhstan. We get off the plane with the other 8 passengers (the rest got off in Russia) and go to the terminal. There is a woman at the gate holding a sign that says Horowitz. We figure that this is the guide/translator waiting for us so we approach her with a big hello and she promptly turns around and walks to an elevator. We look at each other, shrug our shoulders and follow her.
Forty minutes later, we have made our way through customs, have met Lola, our real guide, and are on our way to a hotel. We get to our room and another adventure begins.
It’s now 4:30 and we have a tiny room with tiny twin beds and the bare necessities. The beds aren’t made, the bathroom is wet with towels on the floor and we are TIRED. We can pretty much deal with anything as we know we are only hours away from meeting our baby (who is he or she we keep wondering). Geoff went back downstairs and after standing politely next to three tough looking guys who were talking with the hotel clerk, he interrupted their conversation. 20 minutes later our sheets were being changed. It was 5:30AM Sunday morning, we are just getting to bed, Lola was coming back to take us sightseeing with another US couple at 11:30AM. And, we had another flight at 6:30 pm to our final destination; Karaganda. Whew……………
posted by Geoffrey Horowitz at 11:37 AM
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