So let me give you the updates from here and what is happening with poor, yet highly determined, Connie.  

My Halloween Night passing out candy to over 200 Trick-or-Treaters was to be my send-off to the neighborhood, the last big fling before heading off to Laos. I really overdid, too! Carved my pumpkins, dressed, prepared my candy . . . . October 31st was great fun, as you can see below.

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Almost!

I had exactly 4 days from today (Nov. 5) until I was to leave: China first for a month, to say goodbye to friends, to attend choir once again at my Chinese church, and most importantly to go through my things stored in my friend’s apartment, arrange the shippers to come and have all this dealt with so it would arrive in my new country, Laos. There I’d begin my new life as an English teacher in the capital city, Vientiane.

Everything was in perfect alignment for the above schedule until . . . my tourist visa to China was denied with no reason given.

Heading directly to Laos

This left me rather in a discombobulated state. It had me spending a day in somewhat of a daze, not to mention a few tears, before taking a deep breath and launching into Travel Plan 2.

I will now be leaving directly for Vientiane, Laos, from America, on Friday, December 8. This was the earliest air-ticket possible that was cost-effective and would allow all Laos visa preparations to fall into place before leaving the country. I will be flying out of Indianapolis to Atlanta where Korea Airlines will send me first to Seoul, Korea, then onward on December 10 to Vientiane, Laos.

My work visa for Laos is being processed as I write this. Those in Laos will have it ready for me by mid-November. I will be able to smoothly enter the country, process the full work permit in 3 weeks, and obtain a full 1-year employment visa. This will allow me to begin puzzling together the many pieces needed to get me settled into my new overseas home: searching for an apartment, meeting the Sunbeam Vocational and Language Center staff, exploring the city, meeting colleagues and being introduced to area English teachers that I’ll be working with. I’ll learn my duties and expectations from others, plus start planning how to get my China things shipped to my new home without me being present to oversee the necessary procedures.

A Much- Appreciated Holdup: My mom’s birthday, Advent, Christmas City Celebrations

Despite this disappointing, sudden and shocking delay, I must say all is well. Don’t worry about me. I’m OK and continue rejoicing in my upcoming new life move.

First, my mom will be celebrating her 90th birthday this month and I will be here to make sure it’s a special occasion. The day itself? November 23, Thanksgiving Day! We are planning to dress up and go out to eat. There will be just the two of us, aside from China rescue dog Bridget, so might as well make it extra special by NOT fixing dinner, nor making a huge mess of the kitchen which we’d have to clean up.

Second, I’ll be able to enjoy a bit of my traditional Advent customs before I leave for a country that is 60% Buddhist with only a minuscule part of the population being Christians, 1.4 %. I always make Christmas no matter where I am in the world, as I did in China and will do in Laos, but for now, it’s nice to enter into the holidays without too much of an effort in doing so.

Third, my hometown’s Holly Days on December 2 will have numerous activities to participate in. There will be choirs singing uptown, live nativity scenes around the square and holiday shopping booths galore. I’ll have yet another great opportunity to record it all for my future students. I can’t wait to put together power point presentations highlighting Marshall’s downtown 2023 Christmas celebrations rather than rely on what I collected the last few years, which hasn’t been much.

Lastly, I’ll be able to help my mom drag out all the Christmas decoration bins from the garage and set up our seasonal favorites: the Christmas tree, heirloom knick-knacks, age-old tree ornaments, our 1930’s Christmas scene, outside lights and whatever else we’d like to add to celebrate our 2023 holiday before I leave.

Believe me, I will make this gifted extra 1 month very special, unique, and memorable, not wasting a single minute before beginning my upcoming life in Laos.

Watch this space for all the details of fun in the next few weeks. There will be a lot of them!