Day One and Day Two: Portland to Minneapolis
Our family woke up very early Thursday morning to hop our flight to Minneapolis. For those who know me, you know that this flight brought panic at the thought. You will all be happy to know that it was a wonderful flight. The flight itself was smooth and uneventful, but more importantly, all three children were great. The only issue we had was Maylee's ears hurting on decent. That was a tough twenty minutes, but nothing compared to the flight home from Korea. This time, I understood why she was sad, we were able to talk it through, and it was a small portion of the trip. I felt terrible for her though. She kept saying, "There are bees in my ears!" "They are buzzing and stinging me!" Once we landed, we had a happy girl again.
From the airport, we traveled to Bloomington, just outside Minneapolis. This is where my dear friend Emily and her family live. She and I met on swim team way back in high school and have been close ever since. Last year, the Thell family came to Oregon to visit us, so we knew we wanted to start off our big road trip with them.
Minnesota was wonderful. Thursday, we ate our first Chick-fil-a meal,the kiddos played together and we had Chinese food for dinner. The big news though, was the movie/sleepover that was had by the kiddos. While it took several hours for them to fall asleep, the memories they were making we worth all the sleepy struggles.
Friday, We visited the Minnesota Zoo. Everyone in Oregon says that our zoo is the best. Now, I disagree. The Minnesota Zoo is huge, gorgeously laid out, has so many exhibits and other attractions including a carousel, an aquarium, a play structure and a splash pad. The kids had an absolute blast. We saw a really interesting bird show, saw lots of animals that we haven't seen before, and touched sharks!
After the zoo, we headed back to the house, rested for a bit, then paddle boat rides began. Alex and Emily's yard backs up to a large pond, so naturally my children begged to go out on it from the moment we arrived. The smiles on their faces, when Alex paddled each of them around, were priceless. After a delicious dinner of Tater Tot Hot Dish (a Midwest favorite), the kids played in the pool for a bit, then preparations for another sleepover were underway. This time, everyone was tired, so the movie night was much calmer and everyone drifted off to sleep easier.
Day Three: Minneapolis to Iowa City
Saturday morning, we had to get up bright and early to get on the road. We said our goodbyes, packed up the van and hit the road. Heading to Iowa was bittersweet. We were so excited to make to our next stop and the people we would see there, but we were going to miss the Thell family too. The kids really bonded this trip. Last year, when the Thells came to see us in Oregon, the kids played well, but not necessarily together. Also, this time there was a new member of the crew- Baby Charlie had joined the pack and Maggie and Maylee have grown into a more social stage. They were all good buddies from the get-go this time around and I hope that continues.
Our drive to Iowa City was about 4 1/2 hours of farms, corn and cows. It was an easy drive and actually felt like it went fairly quick. Our destination was the Iowa Children's Museum in Coralville. I was a bit nervous about this stop. Here we were going to meet the Avitt family. Claire and Maylee were loved by the same foster family in Korea. They were sisters for a year and we have tried to keep the connection strong. We talk about "Iya", as Maylee calls her, and look at pictures often. I was a tad worried though. Adoption struggles are unpredictable. One day talking about the past is great, the next it brings on waves of grief. I wasn't sure where an actual visit would lead us.
Guess what?! It was AMAZING!! I am so thankful that we could make this visit happen. It took a bit for Maylee to warm up, but once she did, it was like they had never parted ways. We saw the bond that was clear in Korea when we went to our family visits. Of course, the boys had no problems, whatsoever. Liam, Nolan, and Jacob bonded on our court trip and that seemed to come back instantly. We spent hours together, watching the kids play and talking about our first year and a half home. I can't find words to describe the magic we witnessed in the Children's Museum.
After the playing like crazy, we had dinner together and got to see how similar the girls still are. They ordered the exact same meal and ate it in the same order. It's now in hindsight, thinking through all the details of the day, that I realize who bonded these girls are. They share a history we were not a part of. They were there for each other before we could be. That is a powerful thing. These goodbyes were so hard. Giving our last hugs and talking about future trips, made it better, but boy was it hard to leave.
Even after our visit, I was a bit worried on the effects of our time together. Would Maylee grieve again? Would seeing "Iya" confuse her? Again, my worries were unwarranted. We have talked about the Avitt family nonstop since parting ways, but every word has been a happy one. Every mention has come with a smile. This visit was what our little girl needed and, I'm coming to realize as I write, I needed it too.
Our next stop was Chicago, which was about 3 1/2 hours from Iowa City, so we hit the road after dinner to make some headway. We made it to Ottawa, which is about an hour and a half outside the city.
Day Four: Chicago
We made it to Chicago Sunday morning. The only thing on our agenda was meeting up with my cousin Ryan and his wife Lisa. They had already planned a trip to the beach, so we met them there. We have never been to this area of the country and had no idea what to expect from a day on a Chicago beach, but we were blown away! It was warm, breezy, and the water was perfect. It took about 30 seconds for my children to be swimming in Lake Michigan. Because we are Oregonians and we can't even call out coast "beaches", naturally the water felt like a pool. We spent two hours playing in the sand, visiting and swimming. It was a perfectly low-key morning.
Next we headed into the city to see Ryan and Lisa's new home. It is in a lovely neighborhood, filled with tree lined streets, shops and restaurants. Next we headed to a nearby pizzeria to try Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Let me tell you, it was delicious! It was also very filling, so one slice makes a meal. After eating, we headed back to pick up some laundry that they were nice enough to let us wash and say some more goodbyes. Again, leaving was tough. We absolutely love Chicago (at least the very small part of it we got to see), so we know we will be back. Also, of course, our visit was far too short. Next time, we'll make a proper trip of it.
Heading out of Chicago, our plan was to get as far as we could, so that our drive today would be shorter. Our next stop is Memphis, which is about an eight hour drive from Chicago. We made it a good portion of the way, stopping in a little town called Effingham. We totally picked it based on it's roughly halfway location and it's name. When I was doing some research into where to stop, I saw this town then poked around for potential restaurants and hotels to stay in. What clenched our plans, was finding the Effing Brew Pub on the list of possibilities. We couldn't pass up a trip to the Effing Brew Pub! Unfortunately, the pub was closed, so we found another cute restaurant and headed to our hotel. We finally made it to a hotel with a pool and made it early enough to swim, so that's how we ended our day.
Today, we are headed to Memphis and our first Airbnb. It's another 4 1/2 hours from here, so we hope to make it around lunch time.
Details and Links:
Minnesota Zoo
Iowa Children's Museum
North Avenue Beach, Chicago
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