Final Full Day

Today is the final full day of my epic first-half adventure in Korea. Tomorrow I will start the study abroad program with the students from Dordt and Northwestern. It's a bittersweet affair; I'm looking forward to the change, but I really have enjoyed myself over this last month.

Last night Dr. Kwon and family took me out to an Italian resturant and we had a great time. At one point in the meal, Dr. Kwon told me that they consider me to be part of their family. The more I thought about this (obviously) very gracious statement, I realized that something strange has happened.

One of the biggest questions that I got before I came to Korea was: "do you want to find your birth family?" To which I would respond, "It'd be nice, but I don't expect to." And I was right. The Holt people tell me that they probably won't be able to find my mother this summer.

But it turns out that I have found a family that I have come to appreciate, learn from, and (in some small way) consider to be mine. I imagine that if I ever do meet my birth mother, I will never connect with her in the same way that I've connected with these people. It truly has been one of the most unexpected good things to happen to me while I've been over here.

Anyway, tomorrow is a day of change. I'll let you all know how that goes.

---CJ