Off to Africa...

When I was invited to travel to West Africa this summer with one of the chapters I review at work, it was bitter and sweet. I was nervous to accept because we had no idea when I would need to be around for a call or a meeting with a birth mom. I was also really excited to get to work with this group and go back to West Africa. We're heading to Burkina Faso, a neighboring country to Niger. Unfortunately, the trip won't include a visit to friends and family in Niger, I have something I need to get back for now.

I leave in less than an hour to catch the bus to the airport and at this time I don't want to go. When we first heard from T, we were so excited that our summer plans could still move ahead and this trip wasn't interrupted. But, now that we're in the final six weeks or so before she's due, I want to be home. I guess there's an element of nesting going on. I think also all of the unanswered questions about the trip to California that still need to be addressed are in the forefront of my mind. So, I'm grudgingly watering the plants and getting ready to leave.

My past experience with these trips is that once I'm there and once I'm home, it's been such a great reminder of how much I love my job. It's a much needed break from the weight of life at home and it takes me back to those lessons I learned in Niger about patience and gratitude for how lucky I am with what and who I have in my life. I know this trip will be special for many reasons. Afterall, how many expecting moms get to travel to Africa in their final month of pregnancy?!

I'm also really happy that it's only 10 days long.

In the meantime, Josh will get the calls to chat with T. He'll get any updates from the agency on the progress with our paperwork and planning. I'll be out of communication and anxiously looking forward to news when I return. After that time, we'll be about a month from her due date and the biggest journey in our lives yet!