The Great Congolese Caper - Day 1 - Milwaukee

Saturday, 7-Feb-2015, Milwaukee, WI, USA

So it begins… The trip I’ve been both dreading and anticipating has finally started. As I sit here in General Mitchell International Airport, I am anxious and hopeful at what the next week will bring.

We’re adopting a child from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mireille is her name, and she is 2 and a half years old. She’s been our daughter by Congolese law for over 6 months, but politics and what appears to be corruption have prevented us from bringing her home to live with us in the U.S. One day, I’m sure that will happen, though that day is not today, nor is it this week. 

There are options… Options I have to consider as a parent, but that I don’t want to consider as a human being.

These entries aren’t really about that, however, though I’m sure my thoughts will drag me that way from time to time. These entries are to document my first meeting with my daughter, Mireille.

Yes, I’m nervous. I’ve never flown this far before - I’ve never even been off the North American continent before! I don’t speak French, or Lingala, the local dialects spoken in Kinshasa. I’m white, and will be dwelling in a sea of black faces. I’m American, with all the joy and perception that carries with it overseas! I have hired a driver and guide to accompany me from the airport and when I’m going around the city, but I don’t have a good feeling that he is on the same page as me - I’m worried he won’t be at the airport when I get there!

But mostly I’m worried about spending a week with my 2 year old daughter whom I’ve never met. Will she like me? Will she freak out? What does she eat? What if she gets sick? What is going through her head? How scary must this all be for her?!!?

These are all things I think as I sit here, in my home town terminal, waiting for the first short leg of my journey. One thing I know for sure - the next week is going to be full of new experiences and challenges, and I’m sure I’ll come out the other side of it.