Last Day in Guangzhou

Today was our last day in Guangzhou.  It was strange, but Katie and I both had mixed emotions as our adoption trip is coming to an end.  On the one hand, we are excited to get home, see our kids, see our friends, get back to normal, and start raising Melia Xin Ai to be a Horner.  On the other hand, there is almost a "summer camp" feel here with many other adopting families wandering the hotel hallways and restaurants.  We've made quite a few friends on this trip and we're sad that we won't ever see many of these people.  Also, it's so nice for the kids to all play together and not be judged in the least bit.  Katie and I know that once we get home, she'll get lots of stares.  While we're here, it's Katie and I that are getting the stares, and we're completely OK with that.  But back home....

Knowing that today was our last full day in Guangzhou, we really wanted to make it count.  So we went to the craziest spot that we could think of:  The train station and wholesale market.

Take a look at the videos, b/c words cannot begin to justify the intensity of "the market".

I'm thinking that there were actually some pretty incredible deals, but Katie and I were way too nervous to put Melia down for even one second.  In hindsight, it was a completely "safe" experience, it was just that we weren't really used to shopping with that much pushing and yelling.

It wasn't until I watched these videos that I realized how much I stick out here.  Katie and I really had a laugh.



So I feel as if I should start to "conclude" this experience that has been our China adoption trip.  Tomorrow we'll be in Hong Kong so I may have one last post, but I think after that I think I'll be home before I get another chance to blog.

Certainly, our adoption adventure is only just beginning, but the trip adventure is coming to a close.  I have no doubts that sometime in the future, I will look back to these 2 weeks I just experienced and remember them as some of the most special and significant two weeks of my life.

I have Melia to thank for that.

Thank you Melia.  Thank you for being you.  Thank you for coming into my life.  Thank you for giving me life.  Without you, these past 2 weeks would have easily been "forgotten moments".

More than that, I look forward to many more significant moments that you will provide me by being my daughter.  I love you sweetie.