We are companions on the journey...

Lianne and her parents hosted a wonderful pot luck for our travel group. Julia and I were thrilled to meet folks who were new to us. It was a lovely afternoon of activity and conversation. The highlight for me was seeing how well the girls got along -- after all, the trip is really about them and their individual and shared experiences of this part of the adoption journey.

This shot of Jenna and Julia, snuggled together in the same chair, 

sharing a tender moment.

What has brought them together?

China? Shared experiences as adopted girls?

No!

Nintendo DS!

So much for the Trish Romance moment!

Ah well, there will be other moments.

Here they are on the flip side.

Here's the crew!

Two families missing -- the Presleys from Ottawa and the

west coast branch of the Thompson family.

Girls on the move -- the age range on the trip will be from 6-11 years.

Tia is pouring over pictures from Lianne's last trip to China.

The excitement builds. 

Mary Ann and Leo Madore, travelling for the third time to China. 

They were in Bryanna's Group 70.

Janet, Rose and Tia.

Headbandz is always a crowd pleaser with these girls.

There were also earrings to make, gimp to braid, key chains to craft.

Busy girls.

Cassidy and Kate - 2 Dingyuan gals adopted 5 months apart,

friends ever since.

Joe and Leo wondering how they will cope in the estrogen den.

Lianne's good friend Jane is lending us her daughter Ally for the trip.

The first of many meals together at the proverbial "kids table".

As joyful as this meeting was, my heart ached for the missing quarter of our China Beach group -- Shauna and Maclean. Julia fully expected to see them at the party, and was really surprized when they weren't because we tend to all travel as a bit of a 4-pack (plus 5 kids) for these big trips. But not this time. I know the Press ladies are sad about this too, and I know it's about "choices" as Shauna would say and circumstances. But I still wish they were coming with us.

So I'm putting it on record now and sending it out there for the future

 -- that the next trip to China -- in 5 years let's say, God willing--is the China Beach Tour.

Finding the needle in the haystack

Who would have thought it?

Who would have thought it would be so difficult to find a little shot of Twinrix, the vaccine for Hep A&B.

I didn't think it would be until my travel pal, Janet alerted me to her crusade to find Twinrix Jr. for her daughter. She said she called 5 pharmacies.

I called 24...and was told the same thing 24 times  -- it was on back-order.

But, persistence paid off -- the 25th call to a "hole-in-the-wall" pharmacy I didn't even know existed (even though I pass it everyday on my way to school) had the stuff.

It is the smallest pharmacy I've ever seen -- my classroom is bigger.

Happy to report that shot number one was administered today. 

Shot number 2 is on backorder.

However will we pass the time...

Saturday March 6	Leave Toronto, connect through Vancouver Cross International Dateline, Lose one day
Sunday March 7	Arrive Beijing Local guide escorts us to hotel. Eat. Collapse.
Monday March 8	Forbidden City Hutong Tour (travel through old parts of city)
Tuesday March 9	The Great Wall (Badaling and cable cars) Friendship Tour (lunch and shopping)
Wednesday March 10	Shopping at the Pearl and Silk Markets Catch evening flight to Guilin
Thursday March 11	Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill and Piled Silk Hill Evening visit to see fishermen using cormorant birds to catch fish by torchlight
Friday March 12	All day cruise on the Li River followed by evening flight to Chengdu
Saturday March 13	Day trip to see the Leshan Buddha, largest in the world
Sunday March 14	Day trip to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Bifengxia
Monday March 15	Visit JinLi ancient street and Shu embroidery Depart early afternoon for Hefei
Tuesday March 16	Explore Hefei and visit local school
Wednesday March 17	Tour local villages and countryside
Thursday March 18	Morning flight to Shanghai Free day
Friday March 19	Bund Sightseeing Tunnel and boat ride followed by visit to YuYuan Market in afternoon Acrobat Show in the evening
Saturday March 20	GuYi Gardens or Nanjing Road Free afternoon
Sunday March 21	Free Day and then evening flight home!

Behind every great trip...there are two great women!

This trip of a life-time has been planned with great attention to detail by my dear friend, Lianne. This will be her fourth trip to China - two adoption trips and two homeland trips with her daughters. Here they are, mittens and new suitcases "in hand", so to speak.

Lianne's experience travelling throughout China and her expertise as a master co-ordinator has resulted in a trip with all the bases covered. Each single step that we take on this journey and each of the thousand miles we will cover has been carefully planned in consultation with our guide MaRui, with whom Lianne has travelled with twice before. 

I've heard wonderful things about this friendly and dynamic woman -- can't wait to meet her in person. Here is MuRui with Lianne's girls, Cassidy and Bryanna when they did their homeland tour two years ago. 

Lianne and two of the other families making the trip with us will be starting their journey in Hong Kong as Julia and I begin with the McCrimmon and Tucci families in Beijing. The two travel groups will join on March 10 - a significant day for Lianne and me as we celebrate the 7th anniversary of our Forever Family Day for Julia and Cassidy.

Between Lianne and Ma Rui, we will be in good hands; we'll be busy and tired, but in very good hands. 

A new journey begins...

One of my favourite notable quotables is "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." It makes me mindful of all the twists and turns my life has taken. I started the most important journey of my life 9 years ago when I began the process of adopting a daughter --soon to be known as Julia-- from China.  Seven years ago I travelled to Anhui province to become a mother. 

The journey continues everyday that we are together, and in two months' time, the journey will take us another few thousand miles as I bring Julia home to the country of her birth. I'm also mindful of the people I've met on this journey to becoming Julia's mother. The Chinese have a legend that addresses this idea:

It is with some of these very dear friends and some soon-to-be new friends that Julia and I will make this homeland visit. 

And so, a new blog is born and named in honour of the red thread that joins Julia and me to other families on this same journey. We look forward to sharing our travels and adventures with you.