When Ties Adoptive Family Travel started 30 years ago nearly all adoptees traveled with their adoptive parents for heritage journeys. Over the last decade, as many transnational adoptees have reached adulthood, a shift has occurred in the types of groups supporting them. These groups, now referred to by Ties as “loved ones,” offer a range of support tailored to adoptees’ … Read More
Why Everyone Needs to Visit Tikal
Why everyone, not just Guatemalan adoptees, should experience the magic of Tikal If you haven’t already been, chances are the Pantheon and the Colosseum in Rome and the Acropolis in Athens are on your list of bucket list trips. But what about the ancient city of Tikal? I have been lucky enough to explore the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Acropolis, … Read More
Dear Birthmother
Kahleah Guibault is a Guatemalan adoptee who grew up in Canada and moved back to Guatemala over a decade ago. She’s the director of El Amor de Patricia, Ties Adoptive Family Travel’s in-country partner in Guatemala. A previous version of this post was shared on her Facebook page in 2016. She recently became a mother to a wonderful teenage boy along with her partner, Nery. … Read More
8 Things to Know Before Starting a Birth Family Search
Adoptees and families share with us a wide variety of connections they hope to make when preparing for a heritage journey. Wish lists include visiting a hotel that was “home” years ago, reconnecting with a foster mother or other caregivers, connecting with a driver, and, for some, meeting members of their birth family. Initiating a birth family search is an … Read More