Our week in Seoul was amazing. It surpassed all my expectations. South Korea is a beautiful country with a rich culture. The people have a level of hospitality unlike any other.
We stayed in Hongdae which was a very busy area with tons of shops, restaurants, street food and night life. It was a little too active so we will probably stay in a quieter area when we get called back for our custody trip.
We visited Insadong, which is where the U.S. embassy is located. We will most likely stay there next time since we have to go there for our visa interview. The area was more traditional and seemed more family friendly.
Myeong dong was equally as active as Hongdae. While we were there we stopped by Namsan Seoul Tower. The views from the top were incredible. Seoul is a massive and widespread city. The mountain views in the background are simply gorgeous.
On our last full day we went to court. I was nervous but I think our meeting with the judge went well. The court house was near Gangnam so we went with another couple of families to visit COEX mall. There you can find the huge gold statue representing Psy’s Gangnam Style. Coex Mall, like all the other shopping areas in Seoul is gigantic and is basically a mini-city.
No matter where you go in Seoul there are endless places to shop. In the touristy areas they also try to put sheet masks in your hand and lure you into stores. I was surprised at how warm they keep the temperatures inside of businesses. I was also pleased with how cheap it is to take a taxi compared to U.S. cities. One of my favorite things is Korean fried chicken.
Meeting our son for the first time was phenomenal. It will take some time for us to warm up once we gain custody, but we are prepared for the challenge. I’m really hoping we can gain Final Approval before Christmas. It would be a wonderful gift to be able to bring him home soon.
Adopting After Infertility 