Cleared to travel — Barnie's booked on the bus

The message came through this week, Barnie's tests are back, they're clear, and he's fit to travel!

If you've read the Romania country notes, you'll know the health screening is the part of adopting from overseas I'd been quietly worrying about — the blood tests for the things that aren't really a concern here. A clean set of results is an enormous relief. It isn't a guarantee of anything forever, and he'll still get a proper vet check once he's home, but for now: cleared.

And with that, we finally have a date. He's booked onto Pawprints' own transport — the "Happy Bus" — leaving Romania on 22 September. After weeks of open-ended waiting, there's suddenly a number on the calendar, and the whole thing feels real in a way it didn't a fortnight ago.

So the wait has changed shape. It's not "someday" any more, it's a countdown — and a to-do list. The safe space is coming together. The harness and backup lead are by the door, because everything I've read about transport day and those first three weeks says the same thing: plan the arrival before he's anywhere near home.

We've received a few photos, short videos, a description, and now a travel date. But the next time I write, he might actually be here. And we'll get to know him for real. I've read it can be anything from 2 to 4 days on the road from Romania, and then, finally, Barnie.