Yes, I should be on my way to the airport right now, but I am not. Instead, I am updating my blog from my mom's computer in Isanti! Yeah, Minnesota, USA. Long story? or Short story? We'll go with the in between story. Went to Chicago last Tuesday to clear up the confusion at the consulate, gained visa approval for myself and Sierra. Provided an addressed and stamped EXPRESS envelop and was told they would put it in the mail to me Thursday to receive Friday. Friday arrived, mail arrived, no visa! Called the consulate. Was told my passports were put in the mail that morning--that's Friday morning. The package didn't leave Chicago until midnight Friday night. After many phone calls to different postal agencies, I learned the passports are scheduled to arrive by 3 p.m. TUESDAY, July 25! Yeah, I was supposed to leave July 23! I attempted every avenue possible during the day yesterday, including trying to locate the envelop in St. Paul to drive and retrieve it, but I was never able to reach a dock worker and the package still doesn't show any further than "enroute chicago" from Friday night. Frustration, anger, stomache pain, all set in throughout the day, and at approximately 9 p.m. I looked at Joe and said, "I'm done. I've done all I can." We have since reserved tickets for Thursday, July 27 leaving in the afternoon, so it looks like we are moving in the right direction. We will miss some new hire events this week and Sierra will miss her scheduled testing on Wednesday, but there's nothing more we could have done about it, so I can't worry. We are at least arriving before teacher workshops and before the first day of school. It could have been worse. So, at this point, still not pictures to post, still in the states, but we're getting closer.

Ok...12 days until departure. I just received word that my work visa has been approved, but I now get to wait for direction on when to mail/hand deliver the documents to the consulate in Chicago. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can express mail the materials and that will be sufficient. A trip to Chicago the week before leaving the country is not high on my list of wants. I still want to drive to Staples to see the farm before going--I know, silly, but nostalgia is kicking in I guess you would say. Still downsizing the suitcases, but we are happy to report that Sierra successfully managed to fit all her remaining toys into her carryon bag...Lucky girl!

Okay, due to the prompting of a former colleague, I have decided to set up my own blog as I begin my adventures to South America. Right now I am just testing the waters to see if I am able to actually post anything. After today, I think I will use this to update family and friends in the states of our adventures. We have 16 days to departure and it feels like I have a million things to do still. Found out this week that there is a baggage embargo with Brazil right now, so my brilliant plan of checking excess bags on the flight was shot down by the airlines. Plan B: repack, and ship via US postal service air mail and keep our fingers crossed that nothing gets confiscated in customs. I am guessing we'll receive our items sometime in Sept! :-) Sierra is anxious and starting to realize that we are truly going, but overall her anticipation is still happy. For that I am grateful. I'm not sure how happy she will continue to be when we go through her bags of toys and she realizes it can't all come with her. There's only so much space for belongings. I keep trying to convince her that it means we'll get to buy new stuff when we get there, so we'll see how the downsizing goes. Right now, I'm ready to board and be on my way. I'm looking forward to getting settled into my own home again and meeting the kids and nesting the classroom and having some form of normal instead of the transition we've been in for the past couple of months. It is all coming very quickly.