Getting ready for the trip

We finally received our travel approval from China and our tentative travel date is May 25th. We will know for sure next week. We are so excited and nervous. Soon we will see our little Shayna FuJi.

OK, getting a visa to China is a NIGHTMARE. We spent the entire day yesterday at the Los Angeles consulate waiting for our visa. We expected to find a few people waiting in line before us, not 500 people. We drove 2 hours to get there, waited 2 hours for our number to come up so we can hand them our application, spent 5 minutes begging them to let us pick up the visa today so that we don't have to come back next week as they asked us to, waited a few more hours to pick up the visa and ended up paying the expedited charge for not wanting to come back next week. NOTE TO SELF: Self, next time take advantage of the travel agency's service of obtaining the visa for you for an additional cost. It ends up being the same price and you avoid the stress and the LA highways.

Up next: Going through the check list and making sure we have everything we need for the trip. We are going to fit everything we need in 2 suitcases and carry on bags even if it means we have to wear the same clothes the entire trip. :-P