Emoticon Journey of Our Time in China

Posted by Traci at 10:32 PM

(-.-) Day 1: I’m exhausted.  The plane ride/torture sucked.  Need sleep.  Take me to my bed NOW!

:-)))  Day 2: Wow I feel so much better after a full night’s sleep.  Ready for our first day!  Look at those pretty red lanterns!  Look at that sign in Chinese!  Look at that rickshaw!

=:-)  Day 3: Those noodles and fried rice were delicious!  Can’t wait for our next meal.

:-o  Day 4: Tomorrow is The Day.  Nervous/excited/in disbelief that everything I’ve spent the last year+ obsessing over is here!!!

Day 5-7: (No emoticon can describe the day you meet your sweet lovely day.  Or the days right after.)

:~/  Day 8: So glad we got our sweet pie!  But I kinda miss home.

<:-/  Day 9: Getting a little tired of hotel life.  Wish we could get home and start the real work of adjusting.  Oh look.. The Dog Whisperer is on.  Again.

<:-| Day 10: I’ll tell you what, I could do with some Five Guys and some cold water and some flippin ICE.

>:-(  Day 11: Is this hotel room getting smaller or is it just me?  Oh boy... more rice.  Hey, no problem about NOT holding the elevator for us, sir.  Yes, I do believe you did the exact same thing yesterday and the day before and the day before and... oh forget it.

:-(  Day 12: Getting stared at was fun the first thousand times.  I miss home.  I miss strangers that smile, even if they don’t mean it.  And people that hold doors.  And clouds.  And clean, clean streets.  And toilets.  And soap in bathrooms.  And menus I can read.  And ice water.  And everyone I love.  Mostly that.

(:-(  Day 13:  Wonder what we’ll do to fill the time today?  Another visit to the “playroom” which is actually a tiny hotel room with super old/gross toys?  Oh boy... more rice.

~:-(  Day 13:  Don’t know if I’m gonna make it.  Seriously.  Yet another Skype session with Mom ended in tears, with me begging to come home.

`:-))  Day 14 first 24 hours:  HOME-sweeter-than-you-ever-imagined-it-could-ever-be-HOME!  “Welcome home” to you Mr. Custom’s Agent!  God Bless America!!!  Oh my good Lord there’s a CHILI'S! Thank the Lord for Chili’s!!!  Bring me some ice cold water ASAP!  Only 10 more hours to go...

Day 14 next 24 hours:  No emoticon can describe coming home and seeing your loved ones, especially your toddler who turned into a little boy while you were gone.

Disclaimer – Chip and I love to travel and experience other cultures, even for long periods of time.  Mostly that's been on mission trips so it's not like we're going to Sandals (though we've done that too and it was awesome).  But adoption traveling is different.  It’s emotionally and physically beyond what you think you can handle, and even after you’ve met your sweet lovely, you can’t go home yet.  Due to the never-ending paperchase that is adoption, most people wait an average of five days after meeting their new thang before going home.  Every day you’re thinking “there’s so much we could be doing, getting started on, getting our routine going, and all we can do is sit in this hotel room killing time”.   But oh, the payoff!