Take me to the markets (& the mall)

The rest of the day yesterday we actually had some free time- so a bunch of us decided to go to Namdaemun Market. It was a little overwhelming with over 10,000 shops, but pretty neat. I will need to go back there on my own time, because I definitely want to get some souvenirs, but we were with a big group and it was hard to stop and browse for too long. 

Pigs feet...yummy

Bugs bugs bugs

Ginseng

Food alley

The pancakes were delicious

Mandoo (kind of like a steamed bun)

Korean tranny and the coolest kid I've seen 

Afterwards, we went to a place for my first taste of patbingsu (Korean shaved ice). It was a little underwhelming, but I need to try the more traditional version. We had oreo, mango and green tea. They were huge so we split three between 9 of us.

Afterwards we walked through a fancier shopping area (Myeongdong) and then headed back to the hotel. 

Interesting store name

Missing my Toms

Seoul Tower

A few of us grabbed a quick dinner before we had to get on the bus for Busan. It ended up being a 6+ hour ride, with a few stops, and we didn't get in til about 3am. This new hostel is TINY. It is centrally located, but the rooms are ridiculously small. I have considered getting a hotel room somewhere close, but I think I can stick it out for a few days. I guess I am one of the "lucky" ones because we got in a 4-person room as opposed to a 6-person room, but I haven't lived like this in quite awhile..or maybe ever. There are bunk beds and hardly no floor space, and tiny lockers for us to store a few things. The showers and bathroom area are also shared- this may take an adjustment.

Packed in like sardines

Took my first group shower this morning

Story Guest House

We crashed pretty hard and only had to be up by noon for lunch. It was raining this morning in Busan so our plans to go to a temple by the sea were changed instead to go to Shinsegae Centum City, the largest department store in the world (not to be compared to the largest mall in the world in Dubai, but it is still pretty huge). Besides all the shops, there's a huge food market and food stalls on the bottom floor, a restaurant floor at the top, an ice skating rink by the food court, an outdoor Dinosaur Zoo on the roof, a golf range, a preschool, an academy, a movie theater, and a bunch of other fun areas. My kids would love it there. I hope to be able to take them one day.

View from food court of the ice rink

Every mall has to have a kids play area

Dunkin Donuts- still in search of the Korean cronut

Music room by the academy, in the mall- only in Korea

Blowfish soup is a Busan specialty

Zooraji on the rooftop- the coolest dinosaur play land

Yes, I'm the creepy mom taking pics of other kids, but these boys made me miss my own..

Views from the roof

My favorite part of the store was actually at the basement level where there was a supermarket and a bunch of good food stalls. I got a mint milk bubble tea that was probably the best bubbles I've had. I couldn't resist a dumpling from one of the stalls either. They had cute ones in the shape of small animals too.

This was the Delicatessan- nothing like Kroger or Food Lion!

Kimchi bar

Unlike the buffets back home

Dumplings!

Cute shaped dumplings

My bubble tea

Stuffed squid

Not really sure what these were, but they looked good

I finally found some cute gifts for the kids; a chopstick learning book for Tommy, a fun stuffed animal pencil case for Emily, some play Pororo cars for all the boys (Pororo is the Korean equivalent to Hello Kitty in Japan), and a car puzzle track set for Everett. I still need to get some more gifts but hope to find them at the markets.

Interesting shaped balloons...let's just say I wouldn't want these at my boys' birthday parties

Korean play food sets- loved the dumpling maker

Couldn't resist taking this picture

I couldn't believe the prices of some of the gift items - anywhere from thousand dollar beef packages, to $500 seafood boxes to $200 fruit boxes and more. 

Spam gift set anyone?

About $400-500

No clue what this stuff was but they were packaged nicely

I needed a little time to myself today (all this group togetherness is a little much for me) so I shopped on my own and on the way home I stopped by the beach.

Food alley by the beach

Ever since we drove into Busan last night, I've had this weird feeling looking at buildings and thinking, "my birth mother could live there," or looking at older women and wondering if that could be her. It's a surreal feeling. There's this book that I read to my kids sometimes called Are You My Mother? and I find myself wondering that when I look at the faces of these women that pass me by. I'm getting increasingly curious about my birth father now. Maybe it's because I have finally returned to the place where I was born. It's weird, but I feel comfortable here. Like I could navigate myself around; almost as if I have been here before. I know that's ridiculous because I was only here for a short time when I was a newborn, but I still have these familiar feelings. It's hard to believe that I will meet my birth mother in two days and I am starting to get more nervous about it. There's no time to dwell on that for now..we are on the move again.

Holt, and finding out my birth mother's name

Today started off so much better- I finally got some rest and woke up at a normal time. We're going to Busan tonight so we had to pack up because check-out was at 11 and we were going on Agency visits during that time, so we stored our bags in a room until we return. My sister and I went out to breakfast; I had lemon berry ade and a bacon egg BLT. 

We split up into groups to go to our Agencies. My sister was adopted from KSS but I was adopted from Holt (there are a few others too). Holt is a huge agency still operating, whereas KSS is no longer running so she visited the abandoned buildings she was in. 

The main Holt building

The post adoption building around the corner

When we arrived at Holt, we were greeted by a bunch of social workers who would review our case. While we waited for our turn, we were allowed to go up to the nursery to see babies that were waiting to be adopted. I was the first one up there, and spent the longest in there. The first few moments there were the first time I've gotten emotional on this trip; I couldn't stop crying. The kids probably thought I was crazy. But I felt so sad for them. I was surprised it was all boys (5). Almost immediately one of them, Tung Han, latched onto me. He lifted up his arms and wanted me to hold him and wouldn't let me go for the rest of the time I was there.

The space for the kids was a series of rooms (one with cribs, one with toys, one that seemed like it was for the little babies) all interconnected by a hallway. The kids all seemed to spend most of their time in the hallway.

One of the boys (the oldest) just seemed to want to sweep up and down the hallway with a swiffer. 

The babies all seemed to be well taken care of; I saw them have snacks and mixing formula and they had plenty of toys and books. But they all seemed sick or unwell- a few had visible colds, my Tung had eczema on his face and body, and one of the boys had a cleft palate and a tube which made me think he had other problems. There was even a super fat baby...look at those cheeks!

I took Tung into the playroom to read him some books and the older two that could walk came in as well. I tried to read them all some books but Tung got a bit jealous and would not let me pay attention to the other ones.

It was very hard to leave, but I still had to meet with my caseworker. Tung clutched at my clothes and clung to me when I tried to put him down. I finally peeled him off of me and he started to cry. I left hearing his cries through the elevator door. It was pretty close to heartbreaking. I whispered to him that he was going to be okay, but who knows what will happen to him.

So, that was a pretty emotional experience for me. Luckily I got all my tears out before speaking with my case worker so I was really able to focus on my file and ask all the questions I had prepared. Since I have a reunion scheduled, they were much more open with me than I've heard they have been with others. I was told my birth mother's name: Paik In-Soon. In the file, she was described as sociable and outgoing, average height and weight, and having very distinguished (Western) features (eyes, nose, lips). She described my birth father as "gentle" but "average looking"...poor guy.

I was told I could not locate my birth father because they have no identifying information for him, but I was very lucky because my mother had left her real name and 13-digit identification number with them when she relinquished me. They said that was very rare- most people do not leave accurate information, and that was how they were able to look her up in the government database and contact her last week. The ID number is kind of like our SSN but the first six digits are birth year and date, so it's very helpful to have. 

They sent her a telegram and she called back immediately. The social worker said this kind of quick response was also very rare. There are still only 3 of us out of the 17 participants that have made contact and scheduled reunions.

One woman has already reunited, but it wasn't anything she expected it to be. This has definitely taught me to manage my expectations and be prepared for anything. I know this is a "secret" reunion, but the social worker also said that my being pregnant and having children may change things for her- she may be more interested in knowing me more. I guess I'll find out Monday.

After we met with the social workers, they took us out to lunch. I've been so surprised at the generosity of this program, its sponsors and the collaborating agencies; I have not spent more than $50 on this trip.

This was the first restaurant we sat on the floor; I'm normally game for this but this pregnancy I've been a little less tolerant of suboptimal conditions.

 

As usual, I ate too much...we headed back to BOA to drop off our paperwork, then we had free time for the rest of the day, til we had to leave for Busan at 7:30.

More good food, and lots of shoes

I managed to take a quick nap, but it was the kind of nap that probably wasn't good for me- I woke up feeling even more tired and a little shaky. It's been a little tough being here and still not getting used to the time difference, so I haven't been able to really enjoy Seoul at all. And tomorrow night we head to Busan. But I hope that when we return on Tuesday, I will have more time to explore. I feel like I haven't even been able to pick up my head to look around yet. I have to keep reminding myself it's only Day 2. I just feel like this time is going to fly by, and hope I adjust soon.

Anyway, we went to a really nice place for dinner called Kyung Bok Kung. We took a taxi that dropped us off in the wrong place, flagged down another taxi, only to take that one in a complete circle and realize the restaurant was literally around the corner. Oh well.

It was a neat place, with separate dining rooms and in-floor seating. Traditional Korean style, where you take off your shoes before entering.

The food was delicious- we had galbi (Korean shortribs), porridge, two kinds of salads, squid, and a bunch of other small side dishes. When I felt like I was completely full, they came out with another course of chicken and rice or cold noodles - naengmyeon - the North Korean dish I've been wanting to try for awhile. It was really good and refreshing. Then came a sweet drink, and probably other courses, but I had to peace out. I left with another girl in the program to come back to the hotel room; I really need to pack up and get some sleep tonight.

Tomorrow is a big day; we visit our adoption agency (mine is Holt) in the morning and get to view our files with a case worker, have lunch, and visit the babies in the orphanage. I'm pretty sure I'll definitely cry and want to take one home at that point. Then we get ready for Busan...where my adventure really begins.

Mind Blown

I knew going into this trip that I would learn a lot about myself - or at least where I came from - but I wasn't expecting to keep getting surprised! I guess I should expect anything at this point. I think now I'm prepared for whatever this reunion might throw at me, so that's good. 

I just found out that the meeting I have on Monday with my birth mother is going to be a "secret meeting." These are meetings where only the birth mother comes, because otherwise it would disrupt their life. Supposedly, she has now remarried and has two MORE children. So all in all, I could have at least 5 half-siblings from my birth mother, not even counting the potential half-siblings I probably have from my birth father. And probably none of them know of my existence. Crazy!!

Today was a pretty busy day. I didn't sleep well last night so it's been tough. I've been up since about 4:40am - I think it was around 5:15 when I just decided to accept it and actually got up, wrote my last blog post, watched a little TV (Modern Family with Korean subtitles was fun), went down and fixed myself breakfast, then took a shower and skyped with my boys. E kept giving me kisses over the phone, and little T asked me for a tootsie roll - I think I can handle that. These boys aren't too hard to please. Finally, we met downstairs at 9am for Registration.

We ended up taking a bus about 10 minutes away to a cooking studio where we had our meeting. The first part was just introductions and general rules, but then we had the CEO of DowGene come in and talk to us about the process of taking our DNA (hair & mouth swabs) to ensure we are matched up with the correct family. It was pretty interesting..don't worry, T - they don't store our information forever to use in a criminal database. I asked. Here I am getting my hair plucked.

The whole time this was going on, there was a cameraman from KBS (the major Korean television station) there filming. Apparently they are putting together a documentary on us, to be aired over Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving, which is in about 2 weeks). I was told last night that I might be very interesting to them (Koreans love drama) since I am pregnant and meeting my birth mother- and they were right. He kept filming my belly, it was kinda awkward..then he started asking me questions. My sister thought this was all hilarious so guess what? I made it even more interesting and told him that she was with me, which got his attention off me and onto her. He was intent on trying to make her say that she was jealous of me that I found my birth family, which she of course is not, so it was kinda funny to us. But eventually he caught her at a weak moment so I think he may have gotten a little bit of that Korean drama he was looking for after all. Sorry C! If I'm going down on KBS, so are you. LOL...awkward camera shot.

Anyway, he filmed throughout the whole day- even following us to lunch, where he filmed my belly while I ate and asked us more questions and even caught me getting seconds on camera. Great. I feel like there will be some still-action shots of my belly just getting bigger and bigger as this trip goes on.

After lunch, we had a quick Korean language lesson, and then broke out into small groups to talk about our BFS. Since there are three of us that have already located family, we were put together, and mainly just discussed our expectations out of the reunion. I am actually relieved that this is a "secret" reunion. I think that will take a bit of the pressure off of me to keep in touch, or become a new family member, or whatever extreme my birth mother may want out of it. I keep hearing stories about adoptee reunions that either go really bad (where the birth family is standoffish and a one-time meeting) or the opposite extreme- where the adoptee is expected to become part of the family again, move back to Korea, get naked in the bathhouse and scrub down their elderly grandparent, or sleep with their birth mother while she spoons them -- umm NOT HAPPENING with me! If anything, it helps me put her more into perspective, and makes me a little more grateful that even though I am her little secret, she is still willing to meet with me. So we shall see.

I'm trying to take a quick nap now so I can be somewhat social for dinner- apparently we are going somewhere kind of fancy where there are multiple courses, so I need a little energy for tonight. I never thought I'd say this, but I might actually get sick of Korean food after this trip...and it's only Day 2. Uh oh.

Running on Empty

The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. I tried to sleep, couldn't, felt like I might get sick, pushed through and got to Seoul. It felt a little surreal once I got there, thinking about the last time I was in that airport 30 years ago, but I didn't have much time to dwell on it. I got through customs pretty quickly, picked up my bag, took out some cash from an ATM and went to the meeting spot. I met a woman named Jenni first, who felt the same as I did- exhausted, hot, and ready to go to bed. Then we met up with the GOAL staff members and another participant, Park. Everyone is super nice. We went down to the basement to get cell phones (my international number is 82-010-2660-8453 with free incoming calls, if anyone needs to reach me for any reason). After everyone was ready, we got on the subway for a 50 minute ride to our Guesthouse.

The place we are staying at is called BOA Guesthouse. I guess technically it is a hostel, and I have to admit, I'm a little spoiled so I have never actually stayed in a hostel before, but it's a lot better than I envisioned "hostels" being. My sister and I are thankfully sharing a room, and there are two twin beds, a TV, a fridge, and a bathroom, albeit it is pretty small and reminds me of a bathroom you might have on a yacht- the "shower" is above the toilet/sink so it's kind of an all-in-one tiny room. It certainly is "efficient." The beds have a mattress cover and a blanket- I asked around for sheets but apparently they don't do that in Korea. I checked extensively for bed bugs and cleanliness, but it looks like it passed the test.

My sister didn't get in at the same time as me, so she was in the last group to arrive at BOA. My group went to meet the others for dinner across the street - err alley way - where it was basically a little mom and pops hole-in-the-wall. Everyone got a plate of roasted pork, rice, and shared a pot of tofu stew and various banchan. It was decent, but I still wasn't even sure if I was hungry from having that stupid burger, two meals on the plane, and various snacks.

After dinner, I stopped by a small convenience store to pick up some food for the room in case I got hungry- some canned fruit, peach nectar, and little peanut butter bread sandwiches that looked like adult uncrustables. Then I waited for my sister to arrive.

Once she got here, we went back to the same place with the last group for their dinner. I didn't eat again but had a few bites of their tofu stew because it was different than mine; it was really good. My sister has successfully inserted herself into the program. She tried to apply, but since she had been to Korea before, back in 2002, she wasn't eligible. Luckily, they've been so nice and accommodating letting her room with me, that I think she just broke them down. LOL...they said she could come to all the events - basically everything - and they would also pay for her transportation card and meals. So the only thing she has to pay for herself is her flight and half the hotel bill (but I don't even know if they will make her do that). It probably helps that she's yukking it up here, all in her element, and people don't even realize she isn't officially part of the group. She basically is just one of us, since she's an adoptee looking for her family too, so I don't think anyone cares. If she was a tall white guy who was just following me around, it might be a different story (sorry T). 

Anyway, we finally got back to our room around 10, and got ready for bed. I felt tired and took some Robitussin, and went to bed around 10:45. Then I woke up at 12:45 thinking it was the morning. WTF. I forced myself to go back to sleep, only to wake up again at 2:17 wishing it was 8am. Ate two uncrustables. I tried to go to sleep again, but at 4:40 I just sat up and literally could not sleep. This time difference is tough. It's now 6am and I am wondering when it's acceptable to start getting ready for the day....today seems like it should be pretty chill- we just have Registration, a Korean lesson, a BFS (Birth Family Search) and DNA presentation and group discussion, and meals. Let's hope I don't pass out by noon.

If anyone needs to reach me, I'm on wifi pretty much all the time so email or iMessage is best! Hope all is well on the other side of the globe.

Lucky 3s

I left home around 9am this morning for Dulles. I managed to keep it together to say goodbye to the boys, but it was still pretty sad. They didn't really understand that I was leaving for so long, but saying goodbye to my husband T was hard. We realized we haven't been apart from each other for more than a day or two since he moved to NYC to be with me after college, and this is the kind of thing we'd usually do together. Crazy how time flies. He has been so supportive of this trip though; I know the boys will be fine.

I drove to my friend's house and left the car- she lives close to Dulles. A taxi was waiting for me when I got there; perfect timing. The driver was interested in my trip and asked me a couple questions. I don't think he quite understood what I was saying (there was a slight language barrier) but the funny part was that he assumed I was 18 or 19 years old. He kept wondering if I had "permission" from my parents to go on this trip- I think he was surprised when I told him I had two kids of my own, and another on the way. I'm the one giving permission these days!

By the time I got to the airport, I was starving. I should have eaten breakfast at home but I was too busy getting ready to go and feeding the boys to manage more than half a piece of toast. So I figured I'd pay homage to America and have one last bon voyage burger from Fuddrucker's. I pretty much immediately regretted that decision.

My biggest worry about the flight has been that I'd be sat next to someone smelly (or sick), which is kind of ridiculous, but my nose is super sensitive right now and I didn't know if I could handle it. A few people have mentioned to me that it's worth it to try and ask for an upgrade when you get to the gate, so I figured I'd give it a try. Well, I had this whole practiced speech about how I haven't been feeling well, am pregnant and nervous about traveling alone, and I thought it was kind of well received. They had me sit and wait while they spoke to their manager. You know how when you buy a lottery ticket, you start dreaming about how you're going to be a millionaire and how you're going to buy all these things and have a great life? That's how I started to feel- I could just envision my first class seat and my extra leg room and special treatment. Well, I felt like a pretty big idiot when they came back and said they could move me to the first row (economy) but I'd be sitting next to an infant. Now, I love babies more than the next person, but I just signed up to go away from mine for 12 days and the last thing I want to do is sit next to a crying, poopy kid on the airplane for 14 hours. No, thanks. If I wanted to sit next to an infant, I would have brought Everett. So I tried one more time to ask if anything in First was available, and they practically laughed at me and did the little money gesture with their fingers. Got it. Thanks.

I went to sit down and wait to board when I realized my phone was almost dead. Not sure how that happened, but I guess it wasn't plugged in on the way up here. So I sat and charged it as long as I could. I waited til almost everyone boarded before I got up, and stood at the back of the line. A flight attendant motioned for me to come down the Preferred lane, so I followed her orders and then I had all these Koreans talking to me in Korean and wanting to escort me to my seat- til they saw my ticket again and said, "oh, economy." Hey, I wasn't the one who told me to go down the Preferred lane! They had almost given me false hope again, thinking I might have been upgraded while I was sulking and charging my phone. No such luck. But guess what, there was a USB plug at my seat so I could at least charge my phone.

I think someone was on my side. I was only 5 rows back from that horrid infant (ok, so she was actually pretty cute) and I think I'm the only one on this plane who has an entire row to myself. No first class, but this might be just as good. Three pillows, three blankets, three TVs, three bottled waters, and no smelly people! Woohoo! I have even been able to lay down across the seats and attempt a nap. I underestimated the length of this flight and the difficult time difference so I'm in this constant state of wondering if I should be sleeping but knowing it's like 4pm in my head. So far I've watched one movie (The Internship), played Tetris (was kind of disappointed there wasn't an in flight poker game going on), and watched a special on Korea.

Lunch was decent, except that I was stuffed from my stupid burger (here come my regrets) so I couldn't fully enjoy the bi bim bap I've heard so much about on this flight. There was also seaweed soup, oranges, and pickled vegetables. I forced myself to eat it but I'm just mad about the burger. I've had guava nectar and pineapple juice, and honey roasted peanuts and a brownie, too. Probably not what those freaking First classers are getting, but hey, I have three seats to lay on.

I think something that's going to be difficult on this trip is that everyone just assumes I speak Korean and starts talking to me in Korean. Then, when I have to give them the regretful, guilty look and say something in English about how I have no clue what they're saying, I know I've let them down. I can feel the disappointment come out of their eyes. After that, it's all English and abruptness with me. Whatever. I'm wearing your little foam slippers, isn't that enough?

Well, that's it for now...see you on the other side. 8 hours to go, 6 hours down.

T-Minus 2 Days...

Last week I actually started getting excited for the trip. Up until then, I've just been too busy worrying about leaving the boys. We got the itinerary, which was so thorough and full - they have planned everything out for us, including fun cultural activities like a Korean cooking class (which I am super excited for), a performance, a Korean lesson, a city tour, some great restaurants, but also introspective activities to prepare us for our reunion, post-reunion discussions, and media prep if we choose to go on the television show (KBS). We were asked for consent to give our DNA (to ensure we were matched up with the right family) and filled out a few more last minute forms. A good friend of mine gave me the sweetest going-away gift, full of travel items and a thoughtful note. I thought I was pretty set, despite not actually getting anything of my own together yet.

Friday started out to be a crazy day. The woman who is watching the boys was going to come over to do a trial run, so I had the whole morning to get stuff done. I had an ultrasound, then a doctor appointment, then had to go get bloodwork done at another office, and then went to get a flu shot and pick up some last minute precautionary medications. I was already a little harried, so when I got a text message from someone at G.O.A.'L (the organization that is running the Korea trip) I was a little nervous. He asked if I had heard from Holt - my adoption agency. I had not, so he then said he was going to call me.

I was totally not expecting this call. In the middle of a busy morning- my heart stopped. He told me they had found my birth mother, and that I would be meeting her in Busan when I was there (on September 9). I knew this was monumental- I could feel the shift from thinking I was going to go on a fun, interesting, food-filled trip to Korea with my sister to knowing this trip might change my life. I felt overwhelmed and emotional, but I can't quite put my feelings into words. It's not sadness, or happiness, or even excitement- if anything I am just nervous. Nervous because I have no idea what to expect. Nervous because I really never even thought this would happen.

I have never been one of those adoptees who have felt lost, out of place, or insecure about my adoption. People sometimes ask me when I found out I was adopted; I can't answer that. I have no idea. I suppose I always knew. I mean, my brother, sister and I are Korean- we look Asian- and my parents are white, so isn't it obvious? There was no pivotal moment for me. There was no serious conversation. I just always knew. I think it's funny when people tiptoe around adoption questions with me. I am not affected by it. I feel totally normal. But now I am starting to feel like I am abnormal for feeling normal about it.

I thank my mom and dad for who I am today. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. I had a great childhood. I never had a want for anything. I grew up in a wonderful suburb and had all the clothes, food, friends, toys, anything I could ever ask for. I received a great education. I went to an Ivy League college. I got a good job out of college. I was independent. I felt stable. I haven't ever really had any huge emotional or psychological issues. Even though my father died a few years ago, I've recovered from it. I miss him, but it's a part of life. I have a family now. A wonderful husband, two beautiful boys, and a baby on the way. It sounds cheesy, but I'm really happy. I have everything I ever wanted. It almost makes me feel bad- when I read about how other adoptees feel, and when I connect with the others going on the trip on the group's Facebook page- should I not feel this way? Should I feel lost? Should I feel sad? Is it bad that I'm not??

It seems like ever since they "found my birth mother" everyone has an opinion about how I should feel, how I should act, and what questions I need to ask. My husband, my family, my friends- heck, even my hairdresser. Is it really so bad that I don't have any expectations? That I truly don't feel abandoned, or angry or upset? I know it will be an incredibly overwhelming, emotional experience- the actual meeting- but is it bad that I don't have any specific things I want to get out of it? That I don't feel one way or another about keeping in touch, or what will happen next? I know I am supposed to prepare for the meeting, and have all these questions and want all of these things, but I kind of just want to go into it and see where it goes. See how I feel in the moment, and see what she's like. I do want to know more about my half siblings, and where they are, and if they even know about me- but I am not even that curious about my father or what circumstances led to my adoption, or what happened between now and then. Is that really so bad?! It feels like it is. It feels like everyone has expectations for me to have expectations, and that's what's the most nerve-wracking part of it all for me.

So I guess you could say that things have been busy- but not even in a "getting-ready-for-the-trip" sort of way. I mean, I haven't even started packing. I am a total procrastinator, so I've been trying to focus on my family and spend fun time with them before I go. Yesterday we took the boys to a county fair, and let them stay up really late. Today we went out to breakfast, which we never do, and then went to church. This afternoon I'm going to get a pedicure with my niece (her school colors!) so she's ready for her first day of Kindergarten. Tonight we are going out on a date- just my husband and I. We were even thinking of going to Busch Gardens tomorrow. But I actually don't think that's a good idea..I should probably spend the day before I leave actually getting ready to go. Today I am trying to put together a photo album for my birth mother. But how do you put your whole life into a 160-photo album? I am kind of at a loss. It feels like a lot of work. I am procrastinating by writing this blog. Maybe I should start packing...