Do you see what I see?

I went to sleep at 4am Sunday morning, but I still got up in time to take a shower, get some coffee and get to church a few minutes early to practice this ridiculously hard (for a Sunday morning) piece that I'd played once a few weeks ago.

During the church service, I was remembering my previous church experience in Seoul, and I was surprised by my feelings... that I was missing looking out into a sea of Korean faces. 10 days ago, I would not have been able to distinguish a Korean person from a Chinese/Japanese or other Asian person, and perhaps today was luck, but I looked into the balcony and saw a lady and just knew she was Korean! I wanted to attend the Korean Sunday School class, even though I knew I wouldn't understand anything they were saying. After the service, I got to talk to Debbie B and show her pics and videos of Ka-Eun, my masked beauty and then I headed to the Harvesters class where the Korean class meets before they split up. It was a small class, and they were so kind and inviting and I told them my story and I got to hear a bit about them. From time to time during the class, they'd stop and explain why something was funny, ask me about the lesson, give me a chance to read the verse they were reading. It was a joy just to sit and listen. I'm not sure I'll go again...perhaps I just needed to ease back into society void of the Korean majority, but I was glad to have this opportunity.

After church, I got back into my groove...went to Aldi, got home and watched the girls swim, took a nap...and then the girls came home :)

They thought all the presents were "SO CUTE" and now they want to go to Korea too! Maybe some day :)

We spent the rest of the day together, went out for dinner at 9:30pm and then acted crazy together, well into the night. This is the first time we've all been together for 11 days. It was loud and fun!!

This is a bit of a taste of the craziness!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbCKQhbFRas

There's no place like home, Part II

I started this blog on May 6, 2017 and now I'm finishing it. Lol, not for good, I suppose because there will probably be reflection posts, and some day maybe even a trip part 2, but for now, I'll finish up the trip.

Last night (or a few nights ago...it's all very confusing) I finished my blog after the Farewell Dinner, and I was so tired, I actually took a little and woke up around 11:45pm to finish packing. (This was Fri night). I woke up around 5am on Sat to get ready. We left at 5:45 am and headed to airport. It was an hour drive. Got to the airport and it was already crowded. It took about an hour to check in, and go thru security. Even though I didn't get a clear pic, I'm glad I didn't bring my kimchi or redbean paste cuz it wasn't allowed! haha

 Then I had some time to kill so I walked around afound a few last minute souvenirs (whew, finally found a magnet for Todd and a beautiful mug for my mom, so pretty that I got one for me too!) I also got a pretty nasty "rice stick" at dunkin donuts. Lol, it wasn't bad after the initial shock of the weird taste went away. Hahaha, that's what my friend told me about kimchi.

 Boarded the plane and kept my fingers crossed as time passed and no one sat beside me. It was awesome and made the trip go so much faster. I slept a few times with my legs up on the second seat...almost like I just on a couch. I watched Loving and Ballerina (which was SO good...and the girl's music box had the symbol I had on my arm (from the tattoo at the Art Box).

what was the fruit? Not sure, but I ate it.

as we got ready to land, the clouds looked so puffy!!

we were late because we took a detour (while I was sleeping) to avoid volcanic ash, so I was told by the airforce guy sitting a seat over from me.

We landed at 9:27am Sat morning (which is BEFORE I actually took off, hahahaha) and I went thru all the stops...and there's this beauty shot of me! haha Waited forever at baggage and I finally got to leave the airport. Since I was at the airport, it wasn't as full on caucasian people as I made it out to be on my post, but I'm sure the next public place I go, I'll be like WHOA!! At the airport, there were a few blond ladies as I was leaving, and it was striking...I realized I hadn't seen anyone that blond for over a week! Then I got see Todd and Lexi and it was like I hadn't missed a day :)

Got home and sorted the gifts (that took a LONG time) and I stayed awake for awhile. The girls helped me take off my compression socks, as I pretty much could use all the help I could get.

my pretty gifts from the little girls

I fell asleep at 1pm and considered setting my alarm, but I didn't and so...I woke up at 8pm. HAHA. Sami made me Ramen and delivered it to me with chopsticks that I can actually use!

Then I tried sorting and unpacking some more...got mail opened...and sat down to write this. It's 1:45am (which is like old almost noon) but I'm thinking I'll still be able to fall asleep in a bit. Then we'll see how it is to wake up to go to church in the morning :)

Thank you all for reading my blog and cheering me on during the trip!! I honestly have told all the stories there are to tell in these posts, as I shared every detail of the packed days  (perhaps too much for some of you! lol). I will take some days (months, years?) to process what just happened, and I'm sure I'll share more in days to come. I'll continue to eagerly wait for the email from Holt, to see if my birth mom ever reaches out to me, after receiving their telegram that "a foreigner is looking for you"...seriously, would you answer that telegram if you got something like that? me neither. If it is meant to be, it will happen. Requested to join the Korean adoptees group in Houston and maybe someday, if there's another trip with a group of people like me, I'll be back on the plane again.

To Erika, Tiffany, Alex, Joe, Ali, Taylor, what a joy it was to experience this trip with you. To be able to have a bond before we even met...to have a group who understood what it's been like to grow up as an adoptee with a loving family but be treated differently in school/get asked those PAINFUL questions like "where are you FROM" on a daily basis and not have to explain how that feels... it was priceless.

To the moms on the trip, thank you for opening up to me and describing the moments when you met your kids...the love in your eyes as you spoke about this 20-40 years later...meant so much to me.

To all of my friends and family, I loved reading all of your encouraging words every day!! You kept me sharing, thru my snail like computer issues, which I know will be so important in the future as I am recalling my trip.


To those who made this trip possible with financial support, your generous support is appreciated so much, more than I can ever show. This trip was life changing and I hope sharing this blog made you feel like you were a part of the trip every step of the way!

And to all the moms in my life...to the one who gave me life and who loved me enough to give me the opportunity to have a better life than perhaps she was able to provide, to the one who started my life from day two, loved me for 6 months, raised me with her 4 sons and nourished me physically, mentally, and emotionally,  to the one who changed me from a file and a photo into a daughter, wife and mother...helping to create a YOUNG lady who is happy, talented, creative, loves her own family, and has the strength to come full circle with your support...and has a strong preference for Hello Kitty.