Keeping Busy

Yesterday, was the day of distraction. Cassie and I ate breakfast, then headed out early and did not return until late in the evening. It was long and exhausting and a perfect day to come before the one where your life will change forever.

We started with a very unexpected scene. At the entrance of Insadong was a teeny, tiny car accident involving a taxi and the glass window of a shop. It was an exciting way to start the day, and we hope everyone walked away unharmed.

Then we were off  to Namdaemun Market (my favorite market). We spent a lot of time wandering the children's section, looking for adorable clothes for our little girls. It was overwhelming and wonderful all at the same time. Nothing at Namdaemun is done on a modest level. Everything is overwhelming.

The Children's section is an alley filled with booths and vendors with shoes, clothes and accessories. But there is a series of buildings where the clothing vendors pack into very tiny spots and just fill them with the most adorable clothes you will ever see. There are tight corridors where people push past you trying to find what they need, and the floor is covered with the vendors' shoes. I hope to bring you pictures later in the week, if/when we return.

After spending way too much on clothes, we headed through the rest of the market. We found the bread vendor and picked up some snacks. Then we found a tiny restaurant right off the main aisle. It was the best ramen I have ever eaten and it was only 3,000 won, or about $3. Yum!

After eating, we headed further down the main aisle to browse. Although I looked and looked, my beloved egg bread was nowhere to be found. Don't worry though, I will not stop until I have some!

From Namdaemun, we walked toward the North Seoul Tower. We made a couple of inadvertent detours, but enjoyed seeing what could be found off the beaten path. Eventually we found the path that would lead up to the tower. We took a very odd elevator up to a tram, then were finally at the top of the hill/mountain. The views were absolutely breathtaking! I know that Seoul is a huge city, with a population nearing 10 million, but until I saw the city in this way, I had no idea what that meant.

We walked around taking in view after view, each one more spectacular than the last. We took a look in the gift shop, then shared a snack in a restaurant. After eating, we headed out to a performance that was underway in the area in front of the tower. It was so neat!

After watching the performance, we needed to head back to our hotel, to then meet another family here to take custody of their sweet boy. I was so glad that we had the chance to reconnect. Our family met theirs during our last trip to Korea and it was so wonderful to get to share a bit of our time here again.


We met them in our hotel lobby, then took a cab to the Brooks' old stomping grounds- the IFC. This is the mall that is attached to the hotel we stayed at during our last trip. It was surreal to be back in that mall, wandering the same bookstore. It feels like so much time has passed since then and also none at all. We met one of their high school friends who lives in Seoul, then headed to a Korean buffet for dinner. It was so yummy. It was so nice to be able to try so many things without worry that we may not like them. I ate way too much.

During our dinner, we chatted about so many things. Our families back home, our babies waiting to join us, food, sightseeing. It was a wonderful experience to be able to hear about Seoul/Korea from someone who lives here. It was also fun to try out our Korea as he laughed at our pronunciations. After dinner, we took the familiar walk to the subway attached to the mall and took it home. It was a long day- a 10ish hour day in all, but it was the perfect distraction from the nerves that were/are bubbling inside of me.

This morning again, I woke up around five, with a racing mind and a "To Do" list scrolling. Nothing will truly prepare me for what is ahead today, but it will be incredible and beautiful and hard and sad. In six and a half hours, I will see my daughter again and we will begin the meeting which will change both of our lives forever.

I don't know if I will have the time or energy or emotional stability to post again while on this trip. I hope I do, but the next few days (and beyond) will be so unpredictable. So, bear with me. Know that I will tell the story of our first days together soon. In the meantime, pray for little girl, send positive thoughts to my boys, shower us with the love we have felt throughout this process. We need it now, more than ever.