Today we traveled from Ellie's home province of Nanchang to Guangzhou, where the American Embassy is in China. Here we will spend our last few days in China finalizing Ellie's visa paperwork, and having her sworn in as an American citizen. She then automatically becomes a citizen the moment she touches US soil.

So yesterday (Friday in China) was a travel day. We had to take an hour and a half flight, which was Ellie's first plane ride.  Aunt Michelle went home to the U.S. this morning, so Mommy and Ellie were solo travelers (along with the rest of our agency group, thank goodness, because Mommy needed some help lugging Ellie AND all our luggage! :-) Yikes!) It was a LONG day, to say the least. The flight was cramped and crowded, and Ellie was overdue for her nap----all of the ingredients for a very unhappy baby who howled for almost the entire flight.  I felt bad for our seatmates :-)

No pics of today's adventures, since Michelle was gone and Mom had her hands full! Someone in our group took a picture for me of Ellie's first plane ride, so we'll have to get that later for our memory book.

Guangzhou is lovely, and we are staying on Shamian Island, a little resort-type area that was really built around the American adoption industry in China. It's in south China, so it's nice and warm (70s), and has a very Western feel, with lots of restaurants and shops (even a few 7-Elevens and a Starbucks!). It almost feels a little like south Florida.