Getting Closer

I'm getting closer and closer to leaving for India.  After my passport came in the mail, I applied for and received my ten year visa to India.  I thought going for the visa in person was a good idea, so I made an appointment at the agency that handles visas for India.  I went there on a Wednesday and by that Friday I got an e-mail that my visa was ready.  Aside from hitting some traffic in Washington D.C everything went smoothly.  I know I could have applied by mail, but I'm happy with the outcome. 

Getting my airline ticket did not go quite as smoothly.  I started looking about a month ahead of time, but then I waited a week and prices went higher.  I knew I was cutting it close, but I've never booked and international ticket.  Looking into airlines and booking a good international flight is time consuming!  Also, dealing with some of the airlines was much more pleasant than dealing with others, and that's putting it nicely!  In the end I booked my ticket through an online travel agent and my itinerary included more than one airline.  I canceled a trip to the beach so I'd save some money and feel better about the cost of the ticket - lol:)  

Hopefully I'll go back to India for baby pick up next year.  I've noted that I need to look for some important things when booking my next flight.  Things like which airlines have bassinet seats for the baby or babies, and which airlines allow for last minute flight changes without high fees are important.  If anyone has any Ideas, please let me know.  

I also got a new credit card with some great international benefits.  For example, I can use it in India to charge in rupees with no conversion fee to U.S. dollars, so it's just like using a credit card in the United States.

I booked a stay at India Luxury Homes Bed & Breakfast for the week I'm in India.  This place sounds great and has all of the amenities (and more) that I was looking for.  Rachna, who works for SCI, was a big help when I was deciding where to stay.  She sent me a list of recommended accommodations, and then answered all of my questions so that I was able to make the right choice.  I ended up booking a reservation to the B&B online and got a nice discounted rate:)  Rachna also set up a driver to pick me up at the airport and drop me off at the lodging.  

Now I just have a few odds and ends to take care of before I leave, like pack and exchange some American dollars for rupees so I'll have a little cash when I arrive.  

My little buddy Cody is staying with my cousins when I go to India.  I wish I could bring him with me, but I think he's going to have to stay in the United States:)  I thought it was about time I started including a few pictures in my blog.  Of course I don't have any baby pictures (yet), so below is a puppy picture of Cody.  I also included a more recent picture.  He's a great little guy.

                                                               Always smiling for the camera!

                    A picture doesn't lie.  Cody started to change colors at about a year old.                           He's still smiling, wearing his sporty jacket that he got as a gift from my sister's family.                            Sure he's a little spoiled, but isn't that how it's meant to be? 
  
Cody absolutely loves kids.  Hopefully he will be in for a big surprise in the not so distant future!!!