Home    |    News & Events     |    Articles    |    Forum    |    Photographs    |     Resources     |     Store      |     Membership     |     About AAAW

AAAW Home Page
 

Insight to Experience

Adoptee finds a part of self far, far away

By Allison Porter 

 
 
 
In the summer of 2003, I rediscovered a part of myself that had long been subconsciously suppressed by years of exposure to the cultural norms of a different society.  The two-week venture of Korea, the country of my birth and blood, surpassed the months of my culminated anticipation and the years of unguided dreams.  Walking down the brick sidewalks or standing precariously on the subways of Seoul, I could glance around and see a likeness of origin to every stranger.  The experience fascinated a new curiosity in me that evolved into more than just a desire to seek the unknown, but rather, a thirst for a more complete understanding of the culture, from the drone of their daily lives to their beliefs about life itself.

Externally, I blended into the crowds, but I could not fool myself and so I continued to feel my surroundings cast me to the outside.  Despite my misplaced regret, I never felt alone because in my almost constant companionship stood at least one person who felt the same way, whether or not he or she recognized it, understood it, or accepted it.  Perhaps I am blinded by hope, but I believe the people who I shared those two weeks of unforgettable memories also shared my sentiments, adding a profound potency to my recollections of the trip.

Aside from the people I traveled with, many of the people I met also enhanced my reflections of Korea, including my foster mother who had taken care of me before I left for the United States at five months old.  Even though I could not understand the language that she spoke to me in, her smile of satisfaction and pride in my accomplishments and aspirations did not need translation.   The little details about the first weeks of my life that she shared with my family and me uncovered an unrecognized interest of mine.  I am thankful for the time, the effort, and the love that she graciously offered to me, a stranger’s child with nothing to offer in return except a final meeting of farewell and thanks seventeen years later               

The two weeks I spent in Korea opened my eyes to more than what I can claim even now.  My heart will always remember the days fondly and I hope to extend my knowledge and appreciation of Korea in the following years of my life as an adult.    

 

Allison Porter