Couldn’t make it last year because my wife’s travel permit didn’t arrive until November, and we shouldn’t have really afforded it anyway. She got a new position at her job this year though, and my pops is paying for the most expensive part, the tickets, as a Christmas present from the Christmas before last, he couldn’t afford it last year either, so we’re finally gonna go back.

I’m excited and nervous. She came into the US as a tourist and we filed change of status in the Biden years. They were rushing through green card apps there at the end, so we were hopeful hers would get done, but it didn’t, and then it made no movement until last Nov when we got the travel permit. So she’s still sorta in limbo, no green card, not even an interview scheduled, but she does have her travel permit, and work permit.

I’m trying to stay positive and not focus on the possible negative outcomes, like her not being allowed back into the country…

It’ll be good for her to see her friends and family, she didn’t intend on staying here, just visiting, and she misses them dearly. We’re also gonna hop a domestic flight and go to Chongqing and Zhangjiajie while we’re at it, we’re staying for close to a month. A lot of the trip will be running around and getting the rest of her stuff packed and shipped, hitting the hospital for the stuff we can’t afford to do here, but gotta enjoy ourselves too, and Zhangjiajie seems like a perfect way to get away from the city for a while and breathe in the natural. Might get a tattoo while we’re at it too.

Any of yall been to Chongqing and have anything to check out? We’re gonna hit the obvious stuff, Hongya Cave, Dazu Rock Carvings, that building that has a like horizontal building across it and the building next to it, but neither of us know much about it. I know it’s history during the War of Resistance against the Japanese Imperialists, but it’s mostly ROC history there that I know about. I don’t think there’s too much PRC stuff there, other than a liberation monument in the shopping area I’ll be sure to check out.

Anyways, just needed to vent my anxieties for a bit and I hope you all are having an alright day, all things considered. I’m gonna crash and I’ll see yall tomorrow!