Tentative Travel Dates

tentative
adj tentative [ˈtentətiv]... not final or complete; not definite We have made a tentative arrangement.

Our agency sent us an email today with our tentative travel dates; May 20-June 2. The dates will not be final until after we get confirmation of our consulate appointment. Our agency was very clear that we should not book flights or make travel arrangements.
 
Well so much for that...

I came home tonight to find that Dart had already booked our flights to China. (Woo hoo! Way go daddy, lets' go get your little girl!) So against all agency directives, here's the plan;

May 19- Departure Cleveland
May 20- Arrive Beijing
May 22 -Celebrate my 44th Birthday at the Great Wall!
fly to Guiyang...where Macy is
May 24- Gotcha Day (Mommy's real birthday present)
at some point we fly to Guangzhou
June 2&3-High speed train to Honk Kong & Disneyland
June 4-Honk Kong to Home!!!!!
(As you can see we are arriving a day early and staying a couple extra day in Hong Kong)

Hopefully we won't have to change our flights. We took a chance booking them because Dart found some decent business class fares with just one stop (Newark) both ways. The flight times are great and since it is Continental we get to use and rack up more of those fabulous frequent flyer miles. If we end up having to change we will just have to pay a penalty. Worth the risk I think to avoid being shut out and flying coach...(yes I am a big spoiled baby but seriously have you seen the flat bed seats?). This last minute adoption travel is rough! Of course at this point I would get on a tug boat to China if I had to.

Hopefully by early next week everything will be solidified and more travel details will be flushed out. We have lots of advice from other families who have traveled recently so we have good ideas about where we want to stay as well as some of the things we would like to do while there (assuming Macy is up for it of course) but this is enough for one day. Booking the flights is pushing it far enough, we'll make the rest of our plans after we get our CA confirmed. 

Can you tell we are excited?