For many couples, waiting to be chosen as adoptive parents can feel agonizing. There’s a certain amount of waiting to be expected in the infant adoption process. That’s why at Lifetime, we encourage you to make the most while you’re waiting for adoption in our blog series “Before You Adopt.”

In this blog series for hopeful adoptive parents, we encourage you to do productive activities such as taking a childcare class, building your adoption budget, and getting practice with parenting before adoption. Today, we’re sharing a fun activity you can do while you wait to be chosen by a birth mother: explore your city.

Sit down with your spouse and write down a “bucket list” of spots to check out in (or near) your city. Think about what tourists do when they visit your area. Are there any unique restaurants that you’ve wanted to try out? Are there local museums you’ve never visited, or maybe a new concert venue? Visit the review site Yelp for inspiration. Simply type in “things to do” in the search bar, and insert your city’s name.

No matter what you decide to explore in your city, planning these activities can take your mind off your wait. It’ll also allow you to nurture your relationship and reconnect with your spouse in a fun way. We encourage you to enjoy these last months before adoption while you’re being child-free!

“When we were waiting, my husband and I picked out something fun to do in our area each weekend. We checked out the new independent theater and ate at all new restaurants. It was nice to have activities like this to look forward to when we were doing our adoption paperwork and making our profiles. Looking back, I’m so glad we had these fun weekends together before we became parents,” Katie, a Lifetime adoptive mom shares.

Remember, you don’t have to put your life on hold during your adoption wait. Get out there and have fun exploring all your area has to offer before you adopt! In this way, you’re making the most of your wait as you prepare for the child God has for you.

Written by Heidi Keefer

Heidi Keefer is a Content Creator for Lifetime Adoption and has 15 years of experience in the field of adoption. An author of thousands of blog posts over the years, Heidi enjoys finding new ways to educate and captivate Lifetime’s ever-growing list of subscribers.

Heidi has a keen eye for misplaced apostrophes, comma splices, and well-turned sentences, which she has put to good use as a contributor to Lifetime’s award-winning blogs. She has written and published hundreds of adoption articles which explore the various facets of domestic infant adoption today.