This post is continuing on with our series of Steps in the Viet Nam Adoption Process.

Most adoptive parents share the sentiment that the wait from referral to travel is the hardest part of the entire adoption process. Now that the I600 petition submission policies have changed and that wait time has been extended, there will be many families trying to positively bide their time when they’re feeling completely impatient and fed up inside.

I wish I had some magic secret that I could share that would make this wait easier, but no such thing exists. If it does, someone really needs to share it with all of us here! What helped me was reminding myself that the wait was a means to an end. I also had a lot of luck with slowing down and constantly telling myself to just breathe. I had absolutely no control over when my Giving and Receiving Ceremony would be schedule for or when my plane tickets would be issued, so I had to do my best to let go and realize that I wasn’t in control. It was extremely difficult and I get nervous thinking about the wait this time around!

Many, many adoptive parents use this time to nest. Cleaning, organizing and preparing the child’s room can be cathartic and a good, productive way to pass the time. My social worker suggested a writing project for me for this time around because she guessed that I was a ‘project person’, which I am. Take up a new hobby, paint your bedroom, volunteer at your local animal shelter, do anything that will take up the minutes that you would otherwise be agonizing and pining for your child on the other side of the world.

Above all else, know that you’re not alone in experiencing extreme emotions during this period of waiting. Take solace in others who are going through the wait with you. Find prospective adoptive parents who live nearby or pore over the tons of Viet Nam adoption blogs on the internet. Hopefully knowing that others have gone through the same exact thing and are now sharing their lives with their much adored child will help you to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

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