The Outer Marker

This one’s for Freddy with the idea from Rob. So in the world of aviation, one doesn’t always see where one is headed. You know where you’re going and where you want to end up. There’s even a seemingly solid plan for how you’ll get there. But flying around with your head in the clouds, your exact path is often dictated by a faceless voice over the radio. From minute to minute, you can’t see where you’re going, but you hope the voice is telling you the right thing. Adoption feels the same (minus the giant airplane and bad food). The plan is set, but the instructions appear as unquestionable directives from someplace far away. There are a lot of us along from the ride. Ann and I are actively piloting the trip, the rest are in the back just waiting for us to get there. We’ve follow those instructions and arrived at what is know to Freddy, Rob and the aviation world as the outer marker. The location written on aviation maps, set in stone as the beginning of you approach to land. 

From this point forward, it’s just a series of steps heading around and directly towards our final goal. This journey is coming to end and the next one is already prepped to begin. It was fairly long, boring and slightly bumpy trip so far. However, once you’ve reached the outer marker everything begins to happen pretty fast. Terrifyingly fast if you’re not ready for it. 

3 weeks. That’s all we’ve got until we meet Avi for the first time. I thought we had a month and a half, but that was yesterday. Today we looked at the calendar and realized we have 3 weeks. Tomorrow, I know I’ll wake up with only a week, then a day to go. Yet part of me feels like it’s not really happening. Purchasing the tickets made it somewhat more real. But it still I’m just performing tasks required of me by the voice over the radio. I think I’ll have to be half way over the Pacific before reality sets in. 

As part of our final checks, I have a question for the group. We need to purchase some gifts. We need gifts for the foster mom, gifts for the social worker, the adoption staff, gifts gifts gifts all around. And that has us a bit stumped. 

Those less directly involved were easier. We got some boxes of Enstroms candy. It’s from Colorado, it’s tasty, and it travels easily. With the foster mom, the decision has been a little tougher, and the internet has been no help at all. What do you get for someone who has been raising your child since birth? Does a candle or a bottle of perfume convey our gratitude? 

They say you’re supposed to bring something that is meaningful, comes from your area, and will give foster mom something to remember Avi by. Wrapping Avi in an American flag and holding her up a-la Lion King while chanting the movie opening didn’t seem like a good idea. (though it did fit all the criteria) So aside from that gem, not much progress has been made in this department. 

Yesterday, back when we had a month and a half before travel, I went so far as dragging Ann to the Buffalo Bill gift shop at the top of Lookout. She was thrilled. Between the candy with the tequila worm in it and the airbrushed unicorn paintings next to the Zoltar machine, it was a cornucopia of Colorado. Did I mention Ann was thrilled? Though Colorado kitsch is not really our style, we did manage to end up with a book of Colorado photos and pretty Aspen leaf pin. We passed on the stuffed buffalo droppings, and Ann vetoed the unicorns. We found things from Colorado but they don’t seem all the memorable or emotional. 

So what say you friends? With the clock ticking and the trip speeding to its end, any thoughts on what to bring? 

--This is your captain speaking; thank you for traveling with us and we’ll be on the ground in a few minutes depending on the winds and assuming I decide to go there. Flight attendants, two dirty martinis to the cockpit please.