From Thailand to China: Home

So my blog was one of the casualties of the crazy China internet. It seems we could get on but our connection wouldn't last long enough for a post with pictures or it was so late in the night that I couldn't stay awake for the download to finish and it would be bumped.

We're home now and I'll try to recap for posterity...because so many people in the future will be reading this silly little blog. HA

I will preface my recap with some words. We didn't love China. We fell in love with Thailand. Maybe that's why we struggled more in China because we loved Thailand so much and expected a similar experience. It was vastly different, that's fine. I think one of my biggest frustrations was being placed in 5 star hotels, that were obviously very expensive, by someone else with no say in the matter. Then to be treated badly at the hotel you are paying for, which you really can't afford, creates more than normal frustration. Every time a door was let go in our face by a bellhop I thought about the amount of money we had to spend. Every time we were ignored at breakfast I thought about the amount of money we were spending and it was frustrating. I have no western ideas of needing to be served. Heaven knows I'm not spoiled at home, nor would I want to be, but I also would never willingly spend the amount of money we did. When we got to our last town I was so excited for rest, for a comfortable atmosphere, to enjoy the remainder of our time in China. That's not really what we found. It's fine, we were stretched and the ultimate goal of getting our boy was achieved. We did enjoy many parts of China, but we didn't love it.

This was our family's journey. This was our experience. The hard memories will fade and we'll remember laughing with new friends, crazy food adventures and rain rain rain. This isn't about anyone else but the 7 of us, 5 who traveled and 2 who held down the fort in Georgia. My family's adoption of Isaac is about him and bringing him home. If my experience in China bothers then I am truly sorry. I have to say I have no idea how my family's adoption has anything to do with anyone beyond the walls of our home....perhaps extended family. So I invite you to read our blog and look at our pictures and if my opinions don't align with yours maybe that doesn't mean either of us are wrong.

The smog in China was amazingly bad, every bit as bad as the worst we had heard. You could barely see a block from any direction. Interestingly the Chinese government tells their citizens that the smog problem is from LA that American is polluting China.