Visa Question

ours was processed that day! We went in on Monday morning and picked up the visa that afternoon around 4pm. We got to Bogota friday evening...had time for the medical appt. Spend the weekend. Monday visa processing and tuesday, HOME. That was in 2005.

If we remember right, my DH was able to request the visa on an "administrative day." We had the same kind of problem with that. You may want to ask your agency rep there to check on that or just go and try. Even though they were "closed," adopting parents were able to get in on that day, at least in our case.Congratulations on being so close! I have been reading your blog, too!

Thanks so much for this info! When we called our airline tonight to try to change to Saturday, they said they had no availability until the middle of next week. I am really hoping we can drop off our paperwork tomorrow, even though the embassy is "closed", or that they will be willing to process our visa in one day. You guys have given me hope!!

Hi Ruth Ann, We also picked up our visa on an administrative day. However, we did not drop it off on one, we just came back to pick it up the next day when it was closed. Our agency rep had to call someone on the inside to let us in and we got quite the run around from the guards until they spoke directly with the person on the inside, but we did get it. In 2005 they were still processing the visas in 1 day. In 2006 it was taking 2 days and they were making no exceptions (at least that's what we were told). But they did not consider the administrative day an exception, they just took care of it. Especially since you have been there 8 weeks already and your flights would be delayed quite a bit it would be great if they would extend you a bit of grace and allow you to drop it off tomorrow. Hang in there! You're almost home! Have an extra ice cream treat at Crepes & Waffles for me while you wait on the embassy and a white chocolate baguette at Jacques French bakery...ohhh, sounds so good. We'll be praying you can come home as soon as possible! Megan

I LOVE Crepes and Waffles! Luckily for us, there is also one in Quito, Ecuador. We ate there about 3 times during our 4 week stay!

We LOVE Crepes & Waffles too! Maybe we should start a franchise in the U.S.!!

My daughter is begging to go to Crepes & Waffles. She doesn't quite get that there isn't one here! We are going to Colombia this winter. My colombian princess thinks that Colombia is wonderful because we can go to the beach and eat at Crepes & Waffles. (But she "doesn't want to get in the mud") There is a neat mud volcano that is between Cartagena and Barranquilla. haha! the things that kids fixate on. what's the word on the visa?

Aside from the ice cream and the pita pizzas my favorite thing at crepes & waffles was the limonada natural...oooooh, yummy! So cute that your daughter didn't want to get in the mud, Entropy! And how exciting to look forward to returning this winter! I agree that we should start a US franchise!

Well, we finally spoke to someone at the embassy, and we will have to drop off Anna's visa application tomorrow and pick it up on Friday at 3:30. They said it takes 2 days now for extra security clearances. Give me a break, she's 7 months old! She's not a terrorist!! LOL. So, we're kind of screwed with our flights. The earliest we can fly out now on our current airline is Tuesday, so we may just have to bite the bullet and buy tickets on another airline that can get us home on Saturday. I know it's just the difference of a few days, but we are so anxious to get home! We love Colombia, but there's no place like home!

you know, my husband and i did the same thing. we paid extra to leave early, only two days. when we got home, we wished we would have stayed. real life, cleaning your house and getting adjusted home isn't all that its cracked up to be. at least not for us. we wanted to go home so bad. but then i was so overwhelmed by the mail and stuff that needed sorted thru. just think about that before you lay a bunch of money down. :airplane:

Oh I was hoping you could get around the 2 days when I read some of the other responses. We had the same problem getting home. We picked up our visas on Friday and couldn't get a flight till Tuesday. Thanks for asking about our kiddos. We are doing better than I ever expected. Did you catch the before and after pictures on our blog? They are growing so fast. Wishing you a smooth trip home. I understand how you want to get back. I loved Colombia also, but just wanted to be home.Take careDonna

So sorry to hear the visas didn't work out like you had hoped. It is hard after the unknown wait when the US embassy adds more time to your wait. I also longed to be back in Colombia soon after returning home, but there was nothing like being in my own home. (And my own super comfy bed in a separate room from the children!) I was also quite in shock at how huge our modest home seemed to me when we returned home...and how spotless my husband had it (since he had returned home 4 weeks before me). My perspective was certainly changed and has been every time I am allowed to see how much others live cheerfully without that I take for granted every day. During our first adoption I was also shocked to find out that I had become rather overprotective of our daughter and I had a very hard time letting anyone else hold her - even her grandparents. I nearly hyperventilated when my mother-in-law walked in the door two days after we returned home and scooped our daughter out of my arms. We did all the bonding things ourselves: feeding, changing, comforting. And we limited our visitors, more for my sake, since I like things quiet and routine. But I still had a hard time with anyone touching our daughter after 5 weeks alone with her. During our second adoption my husband's parents came to Colombia to help as did my mom and they were part of the entire process, so it was easier. Since we had a 20 month old and a 4 month old it was great to have the extra hands. All of that to say, even though it is hard to not be heading home Friday, enjoy your last few days of having Anna Marie to yourselves and prepare yourself for having to share her when you return home. Let us know how the plane plans work out!

Thanks for all of the encouragement guys! You are right, I shouldn't wish my days of maid service and no cooking away! It looks like we will not be able to fly home until Tuesday because all the weekend flights on our airline are full. We thought about buying tickets on another airline that had a Saturday flight, but it was going to cost us $2,000, and our other flight is free because we booked it with frequent flyer miles. It just didn't seem worth it to spend all that money just to get home a couple days earlier. So, we will just try to have a fun last weekend in Bogota, and will look forward to being home next week!Donna, can you PM me your blog address? Thanks!

Same here. We went to the embassy in the morning to apply and for the "interview", and then returned later in the afternoon to pick it up. When we were there, everyone was doing that very same thing, although it was four years ago, so things may have changed since.

Update- We made it on the Saturday flight! My husband kept checking every few hours, and after midnight last night they opened up several seats, so we booked them as fast as we could! We're so excited that we'll be able to get home a few days sooner than we thought!!! :)