Oh my goodness!!
The volunteer helping me with my paperwork contacted me today and said "If you can get your passport number to FANA [the orphanage] today, you can have your referral tomorrow!" The referral is the Big Thing! That's the orphanage and the child welfare system of Colombia saying "We approve your application and would like to extend to you an official invitation to adopt Paula Andréa specifically!!"
After I accept the referral, I can do the next immigration piece which, I've been told, is merely filling out a few forms (and probably paying some more money), but nothing at all compared to the paperwork I've already completed. The processing of the immigration forms can take up to seven weeks, but after that and a quick trip to Chicago, I can travel!! Exciting, right??
Well... you can only imagine how foolish I feel for not having gotten my passport sooner. I didn't think I'd need it until closer to travel, so I kept putting it off. My parents asked me for months when I was going to get it and still I kept putting it off. Stupid procrastination!! I am going to find out in the morning how quickly I can get my passport number. If I can get that before I receive my actual passport, they can use the number alone to officially enter me into the system and process the referral.
They only received my completed dossier a week ago. I had no idea they'd get it translated and approved this quickly. My head is spinning! This is the most real the adoption has felt since I started!
OH!!!! Then today my coworker Roso who is from Colombia asked me when I was going to be there. I told him probably May. He said he might be there for a little while in May!! He is actually FROM Bogotá and could meet up with me and Paula and take us around a few places! I told him that even thought of the possibility of that made my entire week!
What an exciting day!!
After I accept the referral, I can do the next immigration piece which, I've been told, is merely filling out a few forms (and probably paying some more money), but nothing at all compared to the paperwork I've already completed. The processing of the immigration forms can take up to seven weeks, but after that and a quick trip to Chicago, I can travel!! Exciting, right??
Well... you can only imagine how foolish I feel for not having gotten my passport sooner. I didn't think I'd need it until closer to travel, so I kept putting it off. My parents asked me for months when I was going to get it and still I kept putting it off. Stupid procrastination!! I am going to find out in the morning how quickly I can get my passport number. If I can get that before I receive my actual passport, they can use the number alone to officially enter me into the system and process the referral.
They only received my completed dossier a week ago. I had no idea they'd get it translated and approved this quickly. My head is spinning! This is the most real the adoption has felt since I started!
OH!!!! Then today my coworker Roso who is from Colombia asked me when I was going to be there. I told him probably May. He said he might be there for a little while in May!! He is actually FROM Bogotá and could meet up with me and Paula and take us around a few places! I told him that even thought of the possibility of that made my entire week!
What an exciting day!!