En Route!

Dossier is en route!!

This means my adoption packet (which includes the application, home study, financial statment, references, etc)

is heading to Brigita's country!

After it is received, it will have to be translated. This will take about a month.

Then I will have a travel date!

Also, at this point, everything is mostly out of my hands (until the next I800 form needed)

I will need approximately $3000 for the first trip. This will include lodging for 10-14 days or so, food, travel within country, some court fees. I have a wonderful friend that will be traveling with me during this first trip.

During the first trip, I will have to travel about 4 hours away to get Brigita and then bring her back to the capital. She will get to live with me for 10-14 days. We will be visited by a social worker during our time to assess how things are going and the fit of the adoption placement. We will have court when I pick her up to give me guardianship while I'm there and then court at the end if the referral is accepted. After our time together, I will travel to return her to the institution (don't remind me how hard this will be on both of us, but especially Brigita as she experiences so many changes during these days). Then I will come home and wait until I can return for the 2nd trip/official court date.