The next step in the Viet Nam adoption process is traveling to Viet Nam to adopt your child. Boarding the plane that will ultimately bring you to your child is an amazing experience. But once that euphoria wares off and you have over a dozen hours left in the air, the travel can be a bit grueling, but it doesn’t have to be. Your positive or negative experience will have a lot to do with your airline carrier and the amenities provided to you.

We flew on Thai Air and it was a good trip, for the most part. The one negative was that my husband and I were seated in the middle of a middle row, so to get up and walk around or go to the restroom, we had to climb over the strangers to either side of us. It wasn’t that bad until the strangers fell asleep and we had to figure out how to maneuver over them! We had in flight current movies, television shoes and video games at our seats and that was wonderful. The food (we requested special vegan/vegetarian meals) was outstanding; far better than I had expected.

A great piece of advice that I was given but didn’t follow is to pack lightly. Be sure to check your airline’s weight limits for checked and carry on luggage before you pack. Also, find out what the current forbidden items for air travel are ahead of time (check with your airport or airline.)

It probably goes without saying, but dress comfortably for varying temperatures. Bringing a neck pillow is a wonderful idea. My mom found these inflatable velour topped ones for us that worked great and then collapsed down to about the size of credit card when we weren’t using them.

While in flight, try and take some time to capture the experience. Pack a journal in your carry on bag and jot down how you’re feeling. Slip your boarding pass and flight itinerary in there so you’ll be able to preserve this trip once you get home and share it all with your child one day.

Before you leave talk to other families from your agency who flew the same carrier that you will be on. They’ll be able to give you first hand information and advice about how to make your trip as pleasant as possible.

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More Reading:
Receiving and Accepting Your Referral
Compiling Your Viet Nam Adoption Dossier
The USCIS Process for a Viet Nam Adoption
The Viet Nam Adoption Home Study
Choosing a Viet Nam Adoption Agency
Deciding to Adopt from Viet Nam
Making the Decision to Adopt