Risks and fears of traveling – even for an international adoption

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008, 3:46 a.m.) – Now I can tell the whole story, one I purposely withheld from my wife, Pam, while we were preparing for and taking our trip to China to adopt our son.

Despite a successful and memorable trip to china in March and April 2006 to adopt our daughter, Camryn, this trip didn’t go quite as smoothly.

For starters, Pam and I traveled to China ill. I had a bad sinus infection that I still am struggling to end as I write this blog entry.

It didn’t help that Pam fell ill and bedridden for a day while in China; that Matthew, our son, became ill and had to seek help from a Chinese doctor; and that my sinus infection worsened.

On top of that, we were traveling across China – to Beijing, Zhengzhou and Guangzhou – by ourselves.

In 2006 we were part of a group from Holt International Children’s Services, our adoption agency in Oregon.

This time, Pam and I were traveling across the country by ourselves.

And we were traveling overseas less than a week after terrorists bombed a hotel and singled out Americans in a raid in Mumbai, India – next door to China.

I’m already fearful of flying. I entered the 2006 and 2008 trips to China mindful of the risks of international travel for Americans. But the terrorist attacks had me uneasy.

Everywhere we went in China, I was always making sure I knew where we were and who was around us. I kept on eye on Pam and Matthew and another on everyone else.

That was especially true on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, when a taxi ride left us on Beijing Street in Guangzhou – a scene of wall-to-wall people making a mad dash for retail shops that lined the wide thoroughfare.

I never felt so out of my element in my life. We were there maybe 30 minutes to an hour looking for a taxi; it seemed, however, like we were there for hours.

I know it sounds paranoid; heck, maybe it is. But I know how I felt, I know how uncomfortable things were for me and at times I knew I couldn’t wait to return home.

The state of our world today is pretty pathetic, isn’t it – particularly when a married couple, seeking to give an orphaned child the gift of a family, doesn’t feel safe on their journey to parenthood.

Well, we are home. We made it back safely. Our son has met our daughter. And we are grateful to Holt International, China and others for making this happen.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.