Waiting...

It’s been three weeks since we came home from Russia. This is really hard. All of the paperwork for our second dossier is now in. We are still waiting on our I71-H from immigration, but are confident that we will have it soon. The rest is waiting…and waiting…and waiting.

We haven’t updated since we went on our first trip to Vlad, so I thought I’d write a few lines on our little adventure. First of all, Max is Great…the coolest little guy in the world. He won us over whole heartedly from the moment we met. He was even cuter than he was in his picture. With his blond hair just growing in and his crystal blue eyes full of curiosity, he looks like his sister did when she was that age, but with a little more bulk.

He was at ease and curious about us from the beginning. That was a relief. I kept telling Sara that I didn’t care what his reaction to us was, so long as he had a reaction. After meeting him I can now say that that wasn’t entirely true. Laughs and smiles were much better than a screaming tantrum would have been. Of course, the fact that the first thing they had us do when we met was feed him didn’t hurt, but I kinda think he would have liked us even without the bottle.

We were lucky that his hospital/orphanage was just a few miles from the hotel. Five minutes in the car going and coming, then the rest of the time was spent with him. We were happily surprised at how friendly the Doctor and staff were. More importantly, they all seemed to genuinely care about Max, and made it a point to let us know. For that we are grateful. It is without question making the wait a little easier.

We knew leaving him halfway around the world would be hard…but this is ridiculous. We also knew what was in store when we started this, but knowing that you will have to leave your kid for an openended period of time and actually doing so are two different things. We really want him home and will be on pins and needles until we can see him again.

Now a little about the trip itself and our general impressions of Vladivostok, the Vlad Inn, and so on... We both loved Vladivostok, though we didn’t get to see as much of it as we would have liked. The city is a bustling study in contrasts. Modern skyscrapers with their construction cranes dotting the skyline are springing up between the old and somewhat neglected drab soviet style apartment blocks. The hills and steep winding streets reminded us of a combination of San Francisco and Eureka Springs. Being a port city, we came to anticipate spectacular ocean views from practically every hill top.

One thing we did not anticipate was the traffic. It wasn’t that it was particularly heavy, or that they drove especially fast, but rather that their seemed to be no rules. In the whole city of 600,000 people we counted one red light and no stop signs. People seemed to pull out into traffic when they wanted, trusting that the oncoming traffic would either stop or swerve around them. Parking was about as regulated as the rest of the traffic. If you’ve arrived at your destination you evidently just stop the car and go in. If someone needs to get past your car they are apparently expected to use the ditch.

As you move away from the city center the bustle gives way to a combination of old Soviet dachas and new modern neighborhoods full of homes for the newly wealthy and ever growing business class. One of these new neighborhoods was located next to our hotel and seemed as nice and safe as any one would to expect find in any American City.

The Vlad Inn was great as well. Catering to Westerners traveling for adoption, it is truly an oasis of comfort and relaxation for those facing an otherwise hectic and emotional journey. Away from the bustle of the City, and just a short walk down the hill to the beach on a quiet inlet of the Sea of Japan, it is a wonderful place to relax and unwind.

The fact that the Vlad caters to adoptive families almost guarantees that you will find people there with whom you connect. In our case, we spent most meals and evenings with a great group of people with whom we would swap stories of how our days went and offer one another encouragement. We are happy to see that two of these new families have since returned to the States with their new additions. Congrats to Ed, Phyllis, and Victoriya on their return to San Francisco and to Mike, Heidi, and Bradyn on their return to Salt Lake. As for Amy, the other adoptive mom, her second dossier is apparently coming along smoothly. We’re sure she will be back in Vladivostok soon and are crossing our fingers in the hope that our second trips will overlap so we can get together again.

Okay…If anyone has actually made it to the end of this ramble I’m sure you are saying something along the lines of “Jeez…wrap it up already.”

Done.

Steven