Damon and I are suddenly a little giddy. Last night it hit us…like a brick wall...our EP paperwork was submitted to the Ministry over three weeks ago. Which means it is totally possible that we could get a call this week (week #4) informing us the Korean government has granted Leo Emigration Permission. With EP approval, that would put the big Travel Call just days away. Not months. Not Weeks. Just days away!
We try really hard around here to keep things cool and in perspective. Our agency told us it could take up to six weeks to get EP approval. That means, in our household we operate under the assumption that it will take the full six weeks. Six weeks, then the time needed at the US Embassy to process Leo’s Visa equaled a pretty long time to us back then. A long time still to go kept us pretty calm and realistic (except for my craziness in getting Leo’s room ready by his birthday). But last night, for the first time ever, we played the “what if” game. “What if” an EP approval call comes this week?! That would mean we could potentially be leaving for Seoul by the end of the month. What?! Yep, it's possible. And even if that EP approval call doesn't come this week - still suddenly realized that three weeks have gone by and we are approaching having a month of waiting fly by in the flash of an eye.
Needless to say, my “crazies” have returned.
Will airfare be reasonable? Do we know what we are going to do in Seoul? In Busan, if we go? What on earth will we pack? What gifts do we still need to buy? What will Leo need for the trip home? Does any of this really matter?! No! It is just time to go get Leo and bring him home – who cares about all that stuff, we just want to see him, hold him, and bring him home!!
While I really do want to ignore all those questions and say they don't matter…I am who I am, so they do matter. It would be very difficult for me to get on a plane without being prepared. So, despite it often being difficult for me to ask for help, I am going to do it. I need your advice and expertise on all things Seoul. As well as your best guess as to when we will get that BIG HUGE TRAVEL CALL. We’ll let you all play the “what if” game for a bit so we don’t have to.
In gratitude for all the support, wisdom, and friendship I have been blessed with through my postings of our adoption journey so far, I have a tiny little give away.
One day while at the library this summer, Drew and I were pleased to find numerous children’s books about Korea (hooray!). But, my most pleasant surprise find in the children’s area that day was a magazine all about South Korea (FACES: a World Culture magazine for kids, focusing on a different culture each month). I checked the magazine out of the library...loved reading it & learning about Korea from a kid’s perspective with Drew…and thought about not returning it, paying the fine, and just keeping it. But, quickly realized others would then be deprived of learning all about South Korea, and came to my senses. Instead, I went online and ordered two copies. One for us to keep; and, one for a lucky reader.
Here is how you can get your very own copy of FACES: South Korea
ENTRY #1
Just let me know when you think we’ll get our Travel Call
ENTRY #2
What is a “must see” or a “must do” in Seoul…with a 4 year old in tow? (if you’ve never been to Seoul, what looks good to you); or
What was the most favorite gift you gave, will give, to foster parents and/or staff? (or, if not adopting, what’s the best gift you ever got from a friend)
ENTRY #3
If you stayed at the Eastern Guesthouse – how was your experience? If you didn’t, what hotel would you recommend?; or
What are some of the questions you had for the foster mom? (or, questions you wish you would have asked)
ENTRY #4
Let me know that you spread the word about my blog and our upcoming trip to bring Leo home (the more advice and Travel Call guesses, the more informative & fun for all)
Enter one, two, three, or four times…and get that many entries into the drawing for this really very cool magazine. Please have all entries in by 9pm Eastern next Monday, August 16th (Drew’s original due date by the way…& the date I am guessing we get EP approval notice) A random drawing will occur that evening and a winner posted on the 17th.
Until next time…thank you again for your support, friendship, and words of wisdom!!
22 comments:
Fun! What a cool giveaway item!
Okay, so my guess on when your travel call will come is....August 17. Very random.
My must see/do thing is the city bus tour. You can get off at any attraction you want and rejoin the tour at your own convenience. We loved the Seoul Tower and I think it would be great for a 4-year old too. Just let the bus take you up as far as possible. It is a long, steep hill.
As for gifts, Matthew's foster sister raved about the dark chocolate hot cocoa we brought them (from Target!!).
As far as the guest house, my husband and I were talking about this the other day. We did stay at the Eastern guest house. If I had it to do again, I would stay at a hotel. I think the guesthouse had a very depressing effect on me. A constant reminder of the emotional business at hand....and crying babies right outside our room 24 hours/day. Also it isn't close to that much as far as tourist-friendly restaurants, etc. We saved $$ for sure, but I wouldn't do it again, personally.
Hope that helps!!!
Sue - you are getting so close! My vote for your travel call is next Monday - 8/16.
We didn't take our older son to Seoul but I agree that Seoul Tower is a must for kids. There's even a little "teddy bear museum" there that looked like a big hit with the kids that were there.
The gift I was most excited about giving was a necklace I found at a craft fair for his foster mom. It was an American coin (quarter, I think, or maybe half dollar?) somehow hammered into a heart shape with a pretty design. I loved that it was a symbol of America, where Alex was headed, as well as a symbol of the love his foster mom had for him.
Good luck - I'm voting for next week but hoping your call comes today!
I feel giddy for you!!! I can't believe how close you are to bringing Leo home. It's all so exciting!
I love this give away. If I don't win this, I'm going online to order a copy! Here are my entries:
1. I'm going to guess August 18th (our travel call came on a Wednesday).
2. When we traveled we didn't have a 4 year old, but we loved strolling Insadong in the mornings. It was near our hotel so we would walk over there to grab coffee and browse the MANY fun shops.
Did you read Kelly C's posts from Korea? Check out her blog - she went to a lot of places and documented it really well.
I'll send you an e-mail about gifts. With the gifts you give the foster family, it's nice to give a note (translated in Korean) expressing your gratitude for everything they have done for Leo. You can include your blog address too if you'd like them to see updated photos of Leo. I'm not sure how your agency feels about that, but we did it and the family let us know how much they appreciated that.
3. We stayed at Somerset Palace in Insadong. We were really happy with our experience there - no complaints. It had a little kitchenette which worked out nice when we were too jet-lagged to go anywhere. It has a Starbucks and sandwich shop too. Internet too so you can blog from your room :)
4. I'll spread the word about your blog in a post. Any chance Damon could send me a pic of X and Drew from when we got to meet?
Fingers crossed you get that call soon!!!
LOVE this prize! I'm going online to order one if *I* don't win as well! Awesome!!!
So, my guess as to when you will get your TC is the 23rd. (The date has sentimental meaning to me... I really hope your call comes ASAP!)
Must see... Insadong. And Gyeongbokgung Palace. The palace might be a little on the "old" side for a four year old, but there's lots of amazing things to see (guards, zodiac statues, etc) There's also a restaurant in the Folk Museum (I think) that was filled with kids when we went... always nice to have a kid friendly restaurant nearby!
And gifts... we gave the FM and FS handmade bags with my favorite lotions in them... the FF and FB got local "interest" items... Sox hats and photo books. (I did not love our gifts, we got the call way earlier than we expected and scrambled on that front)
I wasn't an Eastern family so I can't help there....
EEEEEK! I'm SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!
I'm going to guess the 24th.
We stayed at the guest house the first time and loved it.
Hope the batch comes out soon.
I say "picture yourself with Leo VERY soon." Happy to share your blog on PicGal's facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Otsego-MN/PicGal/81291702705?ref=ts
I love this giveaway contest!
1. I'll predict Aug. 19th for the travel call. But, if you end up not going until September, maybe we'll be in Korea at the same time. We're with CHSFS/SWS and expect our travel call next month.
2. Check out A.E.I.O. (saintlouisfricks.wordpress.com). It's password protected, but Elizabeth will email the password to fellow adoptive parents. She traveled in June and found lots of great local parks for her little one. As for gifts, I'm following these comments for ideas myself.
3. No idea where to stay, but lots of folks seem to like the Sommerset. Question for FM - I'm definitely looking forward to asking about her favorite memories with my son.
4. I don't have a blog, but will post on FB about your blog.
I can feel your enthusiasm and am so excited for your family!!
#1 -- I am going to say 8/21 will be the day you get the call. It has to fall on an important date!
#2 -- Having never been to Seoul I give you a link, to Time's 10 things to do in 24 hours. Also handy links to handy need-to-know and 5 places to stay (if you aren't going to be at the Eastern house).
#3 -- My personal favorite gifts are the things that are homemade, and you are SO creative and talented I can only imagine what you could come up with. Going off the dark chocolate cocoa thought from above, those homemade packs that are so popular at Christmas might be good!!
#4 -- I tell everyone about your blog, it's so wonderfully written! I will give you a shout out on FB, too :-)
CAN.NOT.WAIT until we hear about your travel call.
Would be helpful if I actually gave you the link for my #2!
http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1848378,00.html
xoxo
#1 - I'm guessing your TC comes Aug. 20 (mainly because other people stole my other dates!)
#2 - For a must see in Seoul, I'd say Insadong and Namdaemun Market, BUT with a four year old I might say Seoul Tower instead. Go to all three though! Like Kris suggested, you might go back to my blog for other ideas since I was just in Seoul in June. We also went to Seoul LAST June, too, so you could always go back there too.
#3 - We did not stay at the guesthouse. I would suggest a hotel. The guesthouse is not really AC-ed and it's HOT and HUMID in Seoul, you'll see. We stayed at Somerset Palace and highly recommend it. Great location right in Insadong, a friendly staff, and a free and yummy breakfast. There is no longer a Starbucks downstairs like Kris said (it's gone now) but there are at least two within walking distance so you're set. If they don't have rooms available I'd suggest Fraser Suites which is also right in Insadong and seems to have a very similar feel to Somerset. We had been advised by other APs to work with Phil at khrc.com and he was so helpful getting us set up with a hotel at the last minute at a VERY busy time in Seoul (summer). You should email him.
#4 - I will definitely link to your blog for others to guess your TC!!
Hi! I found your blog through Kristin's!
#1 My guess is going to be August 26th for your TC. We have a couple friends lately whose TC came about 2 weeks after EP approval (with Eastern).
#2 Must see/do: Seoul Tower and any one of the palaces. We also really enjoyed the city bus tour; here's the website for it:
http://english.seoul.go.kr/cav/ga/tourbus.php?pidx=2
The National Folk Museum stop would be fun for a 4 year old.
Gifts: we were pretty generic with ours (chocolate, jelly beans, a bracelet) and I have no idea if her foster mother liked it our not since she didn't open it in front of us, lol!!
#3: We stayed at the guest house and there were definitely pros and cons. If we ever went again, we would stay at a hotel. I LOVED being so close the meeting location for our daughter (not having to worry about being late!) and holding/feeding newborns in the nursery, but like Elizabeth, it really had a depressing effect on me. Don't get me wrong, we still had an amazing time, did a TON and saw a ton, but I think our 'down time' would have been a lot less stressful had it not been at the guesthouse.
I can't wait to follow your journey to Seoul!!!
Hello there! I'm a new reader that jumped over from Kris' blog. We traveled to Seoul with a 3- and 5-year old (in freezing December, which limited our sightseeing options!). I'm excited to participate in your giveaway! (1) August 19th (2) Korean Folk Museum & the attached children's museum (my kids loved this place & it's free!) http://www.kidsnfm.go.kr/eng/introduceNew_02.jsp (3) We stayed at Somerset Palace near Insadong. It was nice to have a kitchenette since we were traveling with kids who woke up at odd times wanting to eat! I hope you get that travel call soon! Happy planning! :)
I love this timing for a family that is growing through adoption! There is so much excitement (well, and nerves) before you take that trip of a lifetime! I'm impressed that you able to do this awesome give away so close to your travel - you are already well ahead of me in terms of organizational skills.
And...on to my entry...
ENTRY #1 - I'm going to say, hmm, what dates are left? I am going with 8/20. Not sure if it's already been spoken for.
ENTRY #2
For gifts, we are from Chicago and gave items from the Art Institute. Umbrella, T-shirts, and some kids art packets for the foster family. I LOVE Kris's idea of including a translated note!
ENTRY #3
Foster mom question I'm glad I asked - is there a lullaby you sing before bed? (there was and she allowed us to record her singing it to our son - still brings tears to my eyes) And what I WISH I would have asked - how do you give a bath?
So happy for you and hoping the call somes soon.
Great idea! I'm totally putting all of these great "to-do/see" in my notes for our trip!
My guess for your travel call is the same as mine. I believe someone already guessed it, but I'm thinking August 20th. Fingers crossed that we'll get our TC this week! Whooohoo!
Gifts - I have chocolates, hot cocoa mix, candles and hand creams from some of my favorite places. I am going to give the FF a couple of great framed pics I've played with in photo shop of Maddyx, and I'm also giving them some really nice bath towels (a couple of sets). I heard through the grapevine it's very hard for them to find nice bath towels over there....
I was referred from Kelly Cole's blog. What an exciting time for your family!
I think your travel call will come this Friday, August 20th.
We adopted our son from the SWS, so I can't recommend a place to stay in Korea. In terms of sightseeing, I wish we would have done the DMZ tour since it does seem very interesting.
All the best as you prepare to travel!
I found you through Kelly's blog too...ooohh...this is the BEST part of the journey...well, almost!
1. TC: 8/20 (Fridays...my fave...our TC was on a Friday).
2. Cheonggyecheon Stream and a baseball game (if you think your child would sit that long). Like others, I blogged pretty extensively about what we all did while in Seoul. We traveled 8/24-9/4/2009.
Favorite gift to FM: I knit her a scarf (lacey pattern) - called my mother-to-mother scarf. The pattern looked like ocean waves...up/down/up/down...like the distance between us and the FM...and much like the adoption journey itself. Photos on my blog from last August. We also gave her a necklace and lots of other little things.
3. We stayed at the Eastern guesthouse. While it wasn't fancy (quite modest), it was clean and we found it quite comfortable. I can see where others would desire something with more perks or a bit fancier. It was really hot/humid when we were there - the AC in our room was GREAT! We cranked it up and enjoyed the coolness. Our room was quiet (no crying baby sounds at all) and dark...good for sleeping. We liked being RIGHT THERE when it came to meetings (we had 3 visits with our son). It is very close to the subway and there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance along with a funky area where a art college is. The price cannot be beat. I think I know what others mean when they say they found it depressing. It is sort of "blah" in terms of decor and the business end of adoption. I suppose we could have splurged on something more decadent for our final trip as a twosome, but felt that our purpose was the adoption and wanted to be close for that (I had worries about being late for meetings if we had to take a cab or bus).
Good luck!
Ooops, sorry...my screen froze just as I clicked "publish" and I had to keep clicking the back (last screen) button. Don't ask me why my comments posted 3 times. Sorry.
I'm sure you'll get the call Thursday afternoon at 2:23 PM. That's when we got our call... on February 11. For something to do, what else, but Disco Jump. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEGKtTSU2x4
wow! I have to play this game too. I have been trying to put together a blog. Soon. We both have the same agency and got our EP on the same day. Yippeeeeeeee! My stomach has been going in knots ever since that day. I can't stand the not knowing. I believe that we will get our calls next week finger crossed.We have a 6 year old daughter whom we are bringing and now have a great list of things to do. I hope she an keep up. We are probably going to stay at the marriott or on the base hotel. Sooooooo excited. I have not done any gift shopping. What about a bag with our childs picture on it? I really hope that it happens soon and we"ll be together. I would love to meet other people who are going thru the same process. Hopefully soon. Hang in there. Erin
Hi! We just home from Korea about three weeks ago. My guess is your TC will be on August 25 (random)
Seoul Tower would be a must. I would let your 4 year old put a lock on the "lock of love gate" :)
For the hotel, we stayed at the Lotte Hotel. It was wonderful. Plus you had the HUGE Lotte Department store attached to the hotel :)
For gifts, the foster mom loved the necklace I gave her. It had three heart intertwined. One for her, one for our son, and one for us. We told it symbolized all three of us. She wore it and wrote us a thank you note when we picked our son up.
I'm hoping you get some good news soon! How awesome that you are so close !!!!
Post a Comment