My Trip - Part 1

Being back in Ethiopia was great. I missed it! I find people either love it or they hate it... there doesn't seem to be any in between. I'm someone who likes being there and I am glad I had been before because it was familiar and I knew what to do this time to stay healthy. I had three suitcases and a very packed carry-on. One of the large suitcases was all donations (clothes, toys and granola bars.. thanks to everyone who donated!) and the other large one was mostly her things. I completely overpacked for Almaz (too many outfits, too many diapers, too many toys) and completely underpacked for myself (only two pairs of pants and only one bra!) but I managed.

The days leading up to my trip were very, very stressful and by the time I left I was glad to have the hours on the plane to do nothing but decompress and relax. I brought a brand new journal to record my journey to my daughter and I started it on the plane. I also did some last minute paperwork for the American Embassy. I know, can you believe I hadn't filled out all the forms?
I didn't have time! I was soooo overwhelmed with the details. This single parenting thing is no joke!

I picked the perfect travel partner! My cousin Charles was enthusiastic about his first trip to Africa, easy-going, flexible, calming, fun, helpful.. I seriously could go on and on. He lifted me up when I was down, calmed me when I was stressed out, made me laugh, offered encouragement and support. He got along extremely well with our travel group, too--way better than I could muster as I was in a constant state of stress and shock over being a new parent--and was fantastic with Naomi Winter Almaz. Here he is totally psyched for the adventure:I did find some time to sleep on the plane which was nice and necessary. We were sitting in the exit row and had tons of leg room. Chucky snapped this photo of me sleeping. I wonder what I was dreaming about?!We sailed through the Visa line, exchanged money and were met at the airport by someone from the hotel. Easy-peasy. Our guesthouse for the first three nights was different from the one where all the IAG families were staying, in an effort to save some money. It ended up not being much cheaper but I wanted to stay there because I wanted to surprise Haze! Haze and I have been following eachother's blogs for awhile. We have so much in common and as luck would have it we were in Ethiopia at the same time! It was incredible! At breakfast the next morning I saw her from the back and called her name. She turned around and screamed my name out and we hugged. It was a great moment! She visited me at my second guesthouse later in the week to meet Almaz. Here we are with our long awaited babies!Later on that afternoon we went to visit the orphanage where I volunteered two years ago. I was looking forward to seeing my friend Ivy, an American woman who runs the compound there. It took me a minute to try to remember how to get there because a new road had been built since I was last there, but we found the place. I walked up to a row of women sitting and talking on the wall outside the orphanage. I recognized Ivy from the back and did my second surprise of the morning. That was fun! While Ivy and I were hugging and catching up, some of the women on the wall were whispering to eachother. I hadn't noticed, but Ivy did and asked what was up. Turns out they were all shocked to see me walking up because they recognized me from my blog! How funny is that?! I felt famous! Like Angelina Jolie or something. Several of them commented on how touching this post was and how they had forwarded it on for others to read. I was surprised they knew who I was but they said I was very recognizable. What are the odds that I would be recognized walking down the street in Addis Ababa?!?!? I still can't get over that!Ivy gave Chucky a tour of the orphanage. AAI's orphanage, Layla House, is an incredible facility and very well run by Ivy. My cousin was overwhelmed by all the children. "So many children," he kept saying this over and over. It is really overwhelming. I support adoption and feel good about my part, but it's depressing to acknowledge that placing one's child for adoption is a solution for a struggling family. When did this become acceptable? For me, somewhere in this long three year process, adding a child to my family became less about wanting to be a mother and more about wanting to provide a better life for an African orphan. I don't know when I experienced that shift exactly but it's probably what made this all so much more stressful. It was no longer about me and what I wanted but about her and what she needs. Taking her away from her country and culture and everything familiar to become an American citizen has it's pluses and minuses. It became stressful for me when I realized how heavy it all is but all that is not for this post! So back to the day... We toured Layla House and Wanna House. I checked on the Clifford I painted. Looking good!Later, we hung out at Ivy's house and spent time with her freakin' adorable Ethiopian son, Alazar, and then went to the Black Rose. Ivy gave me some GREAT advice about single parenting. She quelled so many of my fears. Thank you, Ivy!
Single parenting rocks!
(Ok, not really...just trying to pump myself up. lol)