In retrospect, it's purely amazing to me how much life has been lived in the last 10 years!
2000
- I turned 17 years old :)
- A job shadowing experience solidified my choice of studying Anthropology at University
- Changed from the swim team to the soccer team - should have stuck with swimming. Swimming is a lot less fun but lets just say I'm a much better swimmer :)
- Traveled to France and had an amazing time - quotes are still used from these times! Solidified lifetime friendships :)
- Graduated from High School
- Began studying Anthropology at UMD and LOVED it!
- My daughter was born
- I began my second year of school
- Decided I wanted to learn more about international law and found myself wanting to take additional courses on the topic - added a Criminology major to the agenda as it allowed me to take all the law courses I wanted.
- Continued my education
- Began working as a server and at the post office to make tuition
- Moved into the dorms for my 3rd year
- Studied in Italy in the Fall of 2004 and made some of the best friends a girl could ever have, had the time of my life traveling, running, studying (everything from Flamenco to Prostitution) enjoying countries East and West, and LOVED eating gelato, pizza, and pasta everyday!
- Began working at a law firm
- Began noticing a trend in the projects I undertook for Honors, Undergrad Research and a Seminar, all three highly focused on International Human Rights with a focus on women and children and their guarantee of the most basic of rights: life, food, medicine
- Graduated
- Completed an internship with my present employer
- Took a chance and attended a conference on Children Without Parental Care in Boston, MA that changed my life and provided me with amazing opportunities
- Continued work at the law firm
- Began volunteering for the organization that sponsored the conference in Boston
- Offered the chance of a lifetime to work in Africa - though the country had yet to be determined
- Traveled back and forth to Holland for work and took my first trip to Ethiopia on a "Fact Finding Mission" to determine whether or not it would be possible to collaborate with the government and other NGOs in our mission
- Offered the position in Addis Ababa, needed to be in Holland January 1
- January 6 Arrived in Addis
- Met Beamlak January 27 my first day volunteering at Kechene, a day that changed my life forever, though I told myself over and over I had a mission to accomplish and I was not capable of providing the life that she deserved
- March 7, I inquire about Beamlak's social history to learn about her wait for a forever family, and began the unofficial journey toward us becoming a family
- Traveled to Uganda - the most visually, beautiful country I have visited, and rafted down the Nile! Yep the Nile!
- Friends visited me in Addis! Much needed!!
- Traveled back to Holland to assist in hosting the 2nd Annual Conference on Children Without Parental Care
- Impromptu travel home to MN just for a week, thanks to my boss!
- Back to Ethiopia
- Back to MN for weddings! Yippie!
- Back to Ethiopia with a new mission
- Meet Beamlak's Ethiopian Mom - learn about her true social history - her birth mom is alive
- Began working as a consultant for my present employer
- Informed employer that I would be returning to MN
- Oct 10 left Ethiopia thinking I would be back in just 1-3 "short" months to return as the Country Rep of a new program -life had other plans
- Daily fought the battle to not return to Ethiopia on the next flight out - the only thing stopping me was knowing that it would cause a delay in the adoption - this was certainly the hardest time of my life
- Continued - Daily fought the battle to not return to Ethiopia on the next flight out
- April 15 - I turned 25 years old and could legally send my dossier to Ethiopia for Beamlaks' adoption
- Oct 27 Beamlak's Official Referral!
- Nov 28 - first court date
- January 14 - second court date
- February 26 - third court date
- March 26 - 4th Time is a Charm! We passed court! I was in such a fog that entire time that until I just reread my posts I thought I only had 3 court dates! Wow!
- Submit purchase agreement on my first house - wow! The timing!
- April 11 -arrived in Ethiopia and it feels like home
- April 13 - reunited with Beamlak!
- April 30 - departed Ethiopia and it is certainly bittersweet
- May 1 - arrived in MN
- May - Beamlak joined Kingergarden as she desperately needed to be around kids
- Moved into the new house sometime in late May
With 2010 just beginning and the reality of my daughter's 8th birthday becoming more apparent I continue to look back at the year, day, and time she was born. Not only to honor her birth and the relationship she has with her Ethiopian family but also in awe of what 8 years are. What it means, what can happen in this amount of time, and know that without a doubt the last (almost) 3 years that Beamlak has been a part of my life have been the most amazing.
To a beautiful 2010 and Beyond...
1 comment:
Definitely an amazing decade! Hope this one is just as great. Medina asked about those Ethiopian girls the other day (Beamlak and Maryn). Hope we get to see you guys at the culture camp this summer.
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