Meeting Max

So, big day today. We got a decent nights sleep, despite the bed being like a slab of granite. We took a taxi to the Holt office, and then realized that we gave them the wrong address and we were standing in the street looking at a map that we can't read and suddenly this man came up and asked if he could help. We told him we were looking for Holt and he was like " I work there, follow me" and we were like "YES" and he was so nice. We got there and met the group for our tour, which included our friends Connie and Jack, whom we met through the agency and who live near us. They are super cool! We went to a palace of some sort, I don't remember the name but it was really old and really beautiful:

After the palace we made our way to Insadong, which is a big shopping district. I swear, all these people do is shop! I love them very much. Hells bells, I love this whole place. It's freaky deaky but it's just mind-blowingly cool as well. Jeff took 8 million pictures so I'll post a full photo spread when we get home.

We had to leave our group early to take a taxi back to the Holt office for our meeting with Max. My stomach was in knots he whole way. When we got there, we met with our Korean social worker and she informed us that we had a surprise, we were going to get Max a day early! HOLY CRAP. Instead of on the way to the airport, we get him tomorrow afternoon and will have a night with him in the hotel. I'm so nervous I'm about to throw up, but I think it's better that he be a little more comfortable with us. They took us to a room where we waited about 20 min and then we heard a knock and my heart lept out of my body and then he came in and all I can say is I was in total shock. Seriously. This is just an experience that I can't describe.

I just can't believe this. Here is me and the little bugger:

Sorry but the second one is kinda Blair Witchy. Man, this is so amazing. We got to ask a bunch of questions and the foster mother gave us a bag of gifts. We got a necklace with his name and birth date in Hangul, a traditional hanbok that children wear here for their first birthday, a photo album from the last 6 months which is priceless and professional photo of him and his foster mom. It was so sweet and I am so blown away that she did all that. She was so sweet and seemed to really love him a lot. After we left, we walked out to the street and I burst into tears and cried all the way through the subway. Nice. Crazy crying lady. We pick him up at 4pm tomorrow and then we're heading back home on Thursday. Tonight we are meeting Connie and Jack for dinner and then we're going to a Buddhist temple and then who knows what. This has been such an amazing experience and I am SO GLAD we decided to come here to get him. The travel is long and expensive but it was worth every cent.