We're here!

Overwhelmed in the only word to describe our thoughts and feelings. It is 4 am Seoul time. Which isn't too bad since I usually don't sleep past 230am at home anyway. (thanks to 10 years of night shifts) After we arrived in Chicago it became more real when we hurried to the Korean Air gate and at the first glimpse of the big blue bird that would deliver us to our son I got something between giddy and terrified! While we waited to board our social worker called for a last minute advice/ encouragement. It was God's timing. I had been rehashing all these different things I had heard recent adoptive parents say on the many forums I stalk. There just seems to be conflicting advice but she was great and really made me feel like we were prepared. It will be one of the biggest challenges of our life but we will make this transition and this trip is just the beginning.

prior to take off!

Here is my plug for Koreans Air!! Loved it. Beautiful and friendly and fairly roomy, food was wonderful and lots of bathrooms so no long waits! I ordered the Korean Bibimbap and dan the beef dish for the first meal. Both were excellent! Tons of entertainment available. Don't let me give you the impression we actually slept more than an hour because we didn't.

Keep in mind at this point it is about 3am back home and I've been up for 24 hours We found our way to the right bus in order to cheaply make our way into Seoul. Dan fell asleep I was too nervous we would miss our stop. 45 minutes later we were let off at a subway station so far so good. I pull out my hand drawn map of where the hotel is located. Because when I looked it up online it looked really easy and I couldn't get it to print. You can probably guess where this going. We trekked up and down busy steeply inclined streets for about an hour. I was sure right off the bat I knew the general location but couldn't see it. After about an hour we stopped a taxi that had a "translator" sticker in the window hoping he could give us a ride because we give up. He actually refused us and waved us on, I don't remember the last time I was begging someone to take money from me and they refuse. We decided to turn the next street (the original spot I thought the hotel had to be) and wouldn't you know it, it is tucked in behind another hotel in dark alleyway. Did I mention we are each hauling a large checked bag and large carry on and backpacks. Once we arrived in the room, both a sweaty mess, we needed an inservice by our hotel clerk how to turn on lights, ac, toilet. Everything is remote controlled! In our tiny room we have two desktop computers with desk and office table with another two chairs, a 50 plus inch tv, the bathroom is actually probably the same size as the rest of the room. It is a little awkwardly laid out and wondering how it will work when We bring Evan here the night before we travel home.

In a few hours we will once again attempt to navigate the streets this time to the adoption agency to meet our son. Again another hand drawn map (at least it isn't my poor attempt) it claims to be just a mile or so, so we will see. I've packed up our care packages for the agency and for my niece who is also here in Seoul waiting for her turn to come home. I've packed snacks and matchbox cars for Evan in hopes i can bribe him towards us. Gifts for Mrs. Choi, however I still need to write a letter to this incredible woman that has loved my son. I have thought about it for 18 months and still cannot put it into words. It still seems so unreal. I'm sitting in bed on my iPad and Dan is lying here watching killer animals on animal planet in Korean. Before that he watched a Korean cooking show-- anyone else think this is weird for us??