Time Keeps On Slippin, Slippin, Slippin

One year ago today, I embarked on a journey that would change my life. Last October 18th, I left for Russia on trip #1 to meet my child. I didn't know when the day started what a different direction my trip would take versus what I had planned, but looking back, it was the trip of a lifetime and I will NEVER forget it.

When we reached the airport that night, I said to Rhonda "oh my gosh - I am going to meet my son". I left planning for a boy and returned over the moon with giddiness for my daughter. Lots of crazy, wild things happened on that trip, much of I have spoken about. Two quick memories that I'd like to relive with you ...

When Rhonda and I landed in Seoul, we were STRUNG OUT. I don't know if it was the heat on Korean Air, the lack of sleep or just being slap happy from a 5 hour flight and then a 13 hour flight. Because we were so out of it - we didn't put two and two together and figure out the whole "transit" passenger instructions. On top of this, a majority of the passengers on the plane were ending their trip in Seoul, we we just followed the herd, desperate for some food. Because we weren't in the transit area, most of the workers did NOT speak English - just Korean. They didn't understand that we were between flights and just wanted to get a snack. We couldn't see ANY restaurants on the level we were at. The employees told us that at that hour (it was like 5:30am) we'd have to exit security, go through customs and there would be food outside. We begrudgingly did this - after 30 minutes of trying to figure out where we were going, thinking the whole time "Incheon is the 5th largest airport in the world there HAS to be food somewhere". We found it and then headed back through security and UP a level to the mecca that is the real airport. Sheesh. At least our passports say that we were in Korea!!

Monday night we were tucked safely in our room at the Vlad Motor Inn. I had just been through an emotional roller coaster after the in country coordinator told me that "the boy is not good" (speaking about my referral). I was stressed and over tired. I went to sleep while Rhonda caught up on some email and got ready for bed. Apparently the bathroom door in our room made a weird noise when you closed it. In my super over tired state, I swore someone was trying to break in to our room - or something along those lines. Then I realized it was just in the room and I was yelling at Rhonda "do you hear that?" and then something like "stop that!". The tables were turned about 3 hours later when the phone rang at mid-night and she was talking in-coherently to me while I was trying to talk to my agency back in the US. I was asking her to be quiet (shhhhhh) and telling her it was Lorien and she was thinking I was yelling at her again.
Both stories are HYSTERICAL to me now -- and I am sure most of it was "you had to be there" type funny, but I can look back at that stressful week and laugh, smile and thank god for the way that everything worked out.

A year later I spent a wonderful day with my daughter. Here she is below in the required fall leaves pictures! I've said it before... and I'll say it again, it's amazing how things work out!!