travel changes

Looks like we will be spending a day and night in Singapore. We got bumped off our flight from HCMC that would have brought us back to the states. So we will fly from HCMC to Singapore and catch a flight the next day. I am actually looking forward to seeing Singapore. the only down side is that we will not be traveling with our friends. That means it's all up to me to keep Maya busy on the flight home :) Thank heavens she loves her DS and any other technology I can provide!!

Maya is seems to be getting more excited about our trip. She brings it up in conversation more readily. I think now that she knows we will be staying in decent hotels and that we will not be seeing her birth family she is feeling a little more in control. She specifically asked if we would be contacting her birth family while we were there. At first she argued a little in favor of seeing them, but when I explained that this was not the purpose of our trip this time, she seemed relieved. I do plan for her to meet her birth family at some point, but not until she is older and can make that choice with more information and maturity. I feel that at the ripe old age of 9, she's not really at the place to make such a huge decision.

Maya met with her principal the other day to discuss her plans to ask her school community to put together t-shirt, tooth brush and tooth paste and a drawing into a large zip-lock bag. Her principal was very open to the idea and encouraged Maya to seek the help of the 4th grade. The population of her school is almost 1,000. So soliciting just the 4th grade should be manageable! Can you picture us packing almost 1,000 zip-lock bags and carting them off to Vietnam?! It would be amazing, but not very efficient!!

I just sent my passport off for renewal. Sandy brought to my attention that it expired on Sept. 23. We arrive in Vietnam on the 22 of March. When traveling to Vietnam and many other countries, you need to have 6 months left on your passport in order to gain entry into the country. So glad Sandy caught this! Can you imagine arriving in Vietnam just to be turned away?! Hopefully the process will be speedy and I won't have to hunt down my passport the week before we leave!