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We climbed into a van with another family, 3 kids, and 4 social workers following our lunch together. It was a moment that I had been dreaming about for years, the foster family visit. Within minutes, my girl was fast asleep on my lap for the 1 1/2 hour drive out of the city. The nap only lasted about 45 minutes, but even after she woke up, she let me hold her and had a ninja death grip on my finger. Bangkok goes on forever. It‘s easily the biggest, busiest city I‘ve ever seen. Over an hour into the trip, the skyscrapers started to give way to rice fields, fishing huts on stilts perched on rivers edges, and rural life.
Mia‘s foster family lives in this awesome little community unlike anything I‘ve ever seen. Her foster mother greeted us upon arrival and walked us back a winding sidewalk built between homes on stilts. Boats live under homes. Chickens ran freely, but you could see their enormous wooden crates threatening captivity nearby. Caged birds sang in ornate birdhouses hanging high from another nearby home. A woman washed her dishes inside her home and greeted us through a window just inches from the sidewalk. It felt like a movie scene.
We took off our shoes and went upstairs to sit on an old wooden floor that sagged with weight and age, covered by plastic cloths for a clean, smooth surface to sit. The family offered fruit and water and I gazed into the smiling eyes of the woman who cared for our girl for nearly two years. They are kind and gleamed with love for this girl. She has been a favorite and I‘ve known it all along, just seeing the photographs.
The foster family visit allowed us to ask all kinds of questions about health and schedules, first steps and first words. Her foster mother sang a lullaby for us to record to play for Mia for years to come. We connected. The one thing I wanted from this moment was connection. She knew that we would love this little girl with everything that is in us and got teary-eyed at the thought of saying goodbye to her girl. Around us, kids came and went, Mia snacked away happily, content to be back in her Mae’s arms. Fans created a beautiful breeze in this mostly open home.
Before leaving, we got to pass out our gifts and each one was carefully opened and admired. They were so grateful and kind and were gracious hosts to these crazy foreigners. We got to walk down the steps outside to see the swinging crib where she took her naps. There was a giant gated play area under the house where she spent her life growing, learning, and playing. The social workers and family walked us back to the road and I got to have a moment with this woman who has poured so much of herself into this little girl. Tears welled in both of our eyes – grateful for each other. Mia, never far from tears, cried loudly as well. She thought that she was leaving this beautiful lady’s side to return with us.
Our evening has been uneventful. Room service in my pajamas and hours of trying to document these moments for all of time for this girl. The air conditioner is the dominant noise, but our balcony doors are open to a gentle breeze. Cars are humming and honking below, dogs are barking, and our walls are illuminated by the giant billboards flashing below. The city lights are beautiful – especially from the 25th floor.
Tomorrow we shop.
Tools to document your day…
- Camera Phone (for easy pictures and handheld video)
- Wide angle moment lens (for wide angle interiors or tight moments where you want to fit more in)
- Skip the Tripod and hand your camera to a social worker for portraits of you with the family.
- SLR (for quality video and stunning photos)
- Mirrorless Camera (another wide angle & zoom option to add quality video and photos)
- Osmo Pocket (for adding smooth movement to your video)
It’s foster family visit day! This is a once in a lifetime moment that you want to capture to share with your child as they grow up. This is how we roll, but it doesn’t mean you have to. Mix and match what is going to give you the best experience and level of documentation that you are comfortable with. Technology changes quickly, so we’ll try to keep you up-to-date with what is currently in our camera bag and the tools we are now using to document travel.
