So when we talk about our recent trip to Ethiopia, one of the first few questions that people ask is "What did Corban think of Ethiopia."....or some variation of it.
Let me tell you this brief story: We bought my mother a scarf for Christmas while we were in ET. When she opened it, my mom smelled it and said, "wow this smells good". As Marjorie smelled it she said, "this is what Ethiopia smells like". Corban smelled it and said, "Mmmm yeah that's Ethiopia."
I LOVE that my son knows what Ethiopia SMELLS like.
He had a great trip. He thought traveling was a fun adventure. He liked watching movies on the plane. We forced him to sleep because he would've just watched movies until he was exhausted. He was a great traveling companion. Neither of us could've expected how well he would've done. He was a trooper. He didn't stress out. He was patient. He soaked things in.
We got to show him some of the things that we love about Ethiopia. We ate yummy food. We drove around the Addis Ababa (which is where he was born). He and I went on lots of walks around our neighborhood and talked about what he was thinking and experiencing. He is a really smart boy.
We are very open with the boys about adoption and where they're from. Corban knows his story. So nothing he saw there was "new" to him.....but I think it solidified his thinking. He got to experience what he already knew.
One very important moment for him was completely unplanned. While we were at E's orphanage for his going away ceremony, Corban was a little antsy so we told him to go out into the courtyard for a bit. While he was there, there was a young man who started talking to C in Amharic. Corban quickly said, "Sorry. Only English". The young man spoke perfect English so he switched over quickly. He was amazed at Corban. He had never met any kids who had been adopted and returned to Ethiopia to visit. He had lots of questions for Corban....what's your favorite food in America...what makes you feel special about being Ethiopian....do you like Ethiopian food..do you like being here in Addis.
In that conversation Corban was able to do two things.....on one hand he was able to be very proud of where he had come from. He was proud that he was Ethiopian.....that this was his city. Yet he was able to be proud of America. He talked about his friends. He talked about food he liked. He was able to put the picture together fully.
My favorite Corban story (and he tells it better) is this: Just before he met the guy and talked about living in America I was out in the courtyard with Corban. Something fell down into the court yard. He runs over and picks it up and says, "Dad this fell from the sky." After looking up he says, "it must've come from that wash line up there." (balcony). Yep looks like it. He holds it up and says, "Look it's a bib" To which I say, "Um.....dude......that's not a bib. That's a diaper." To which he screams, hurls the diaper to the ground and runs away from it. He's so dang funny.
While we were driving back to the airport to fly home, our driver asked Corban what his favorite part of the trip was. Corban's answer was, "visiting my home town and my home country." He said it with a sense of pride and joy. Ethiopia isn't just a place he's heard about anymore. He's already talking about "when we go back". I like that.
