Identity is a complicated topic. When traveling in their birth country, many kids are anxious to walk a few steps ahead or a few steps behind whoever they are traveling with to see what it feels like to blend in, to be “like everyone else.” For most, it is the first time in their lives where they have had the … Read More
Meeting Foster Families & Other Caregivers
Meeting foster families and other caregivers is often one of the most meaningful parts of your birth country journey. It is often a time filled with both anxiety and excitement. What will you say? What will you learn? What if there are awkward silences? Will she remember me? I want to tell her about my life and show her some … Read More
Belonging & Birth Country Travel
Belonging. It’s a basic human need. We all crave it, and many kids find it among their peers as they visit their birth country. Remember Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs theory? If you’re a little rusty on that, here are the Cliff Notes. Maslow held that people must have basic needs like food, water, safety, BELONGING and self esteem met … Read More
My Favorite Moment by Kathy Gallo
If “brevity is the soul of wit”, then my story at least fills that measure: After our 4 days in Bejiing, we flew to the province where Lina was born. As we walked off the plane and onto the gangway holding hands, my usually fairly demure, sweet, and softspoken daughter looked up at me and said with such confidence and … Read More