This is the view out of our room at the Sheraton in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Our first impression of Addis as we drove through was how heart breaking the poverty is. There is an incredible juxtaposition of worlds here. Our hotel is beautiful, yet right outside...We are now checked in and waiting in the lobby to get picked up by CWA and taken to the orphanage. This moment feels a bit surreal (and the jet lag doesn't help!) I want this moment to hurry and be over so we can be with Tess and yet I want to feel every single minute until we are together.
As we wait we watch all the Ethiopians walk through the hotel lobby. The children are all so beautiful. Each one that goes by I wonder if Tess is that tall-or that bubbly-or does her hair look like that?
Am I scared? Not at all. Am I excited? Yes! Exhausted? Yes!!! I wonder if it's OK to hug her right away? I don't want to frighten her. I was told not to expect the child to run up to us like she knows us. Our plan is for CHristine to hang back and photograph Jeff and I meeting Tess for the first time. A new daughter...everything is going to be different from now on.
