The First Few Days in Latvia

Departure and Arrival

We were given about two and a half weeks’ notice for our travel dates to Latvia. There was way too much to do before we left the country. Along with all the usual, David’s show at Logan had to be ready to open the day after we left, we had to complete our end of the year school tasks early and I was working on a major writing project. 

Every spare minute before we left was spent chipping away at our To Do list. As I was running frantically around I wondered how people like our friends, the Gutweins do it. When they went to Latvia they were all packed in advance and enjoying a leisurely evening at home the night before their departure. Then I realized that David and I have operated this way since the beginning of our thirty-year marriage. While engaged, we were in rehearsals for a show, which opened a couple of weeks before our wedding day. So really this is nothing new.

The flight was long and innately grueling, but it was exciting to finally be on our way. We arrived in Riga, the capital of Latvia, around 1:00 p.m. on Thursday 5/12.

International Incident Dodged

Jet lag was our new and persistent companion as we lumbered through the small Riga airport with many bags in tow. We’re delivering two large suitcases full of Sunday school supplies to our sister church in Talsi. Between that and the lengthy list of required items for us to bring personally, we had a tower of suitcases. 

We're happy to deliver the supplies and will do so again on our next trip, but I felt very self-conscious about looking like ugly Americans as David piled three large bags and a day pack onto a cart while I pulled a fourth large bag and carry on suitcase. All I needed was a little Chihuahua in a purse and the image would be complete. It was a good lesson in not judging a book by its cover. I immaturely wanted to wear a sign that said, "We're delivering Sunday School supplies. What's in your suitcase?"

Instead, in my jet lagged haze in Helsinki I announced loudly and with a laugh to a couple of airport workers that these were not all our bags. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized how unwise that was. David, horrified, quickly interjected, "They most certainly are!" Thus averting our first potential international incident and body cavity search.

Saldus Sapnus (Sweet Dreams)

We checked into our hotel in Riga, went to dinner, and after nearly falling asleep in our pasta, we decided that 6:30 p.m. was a perfectly reasonable bedtime. We were out like lights until 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

The long night's sleep really helped and we felt ready to go on Friday morning when Daina, our Latvian attorney picked us up for the two and a half hour drive to Ventspils. She told us we would go to the orphanage (Selga) first and then to court.

On the drive she pointed out two storks flying by and joked that those were the storks delivering our two babies. We found out later that storks are considered good luck in Latvia.  About two hours into the drive she received a phone call from the director of Selga saying that she had two beautiful girls in her office who wanted to know, “How much longer?” 

DAY ONE: The Reunion

There they were at the back door as we pulled into the parking lot. It was strange to see Selga again after so much time. We've only been there once before when we found the girls in 2009. And now waiting at the door for us were our daughters. 

They looked absolutely gorgeous. Agnese has matured into a strikingly attractive young lady and Baiba is as beautiful as ever.  We hugged and smiled and hugged and smiled some more. Then we were led inside to meet briefly with Marite, the orphanage director. Afterwards we all went to court. 

Court was held in a small office in an old building. We sat down in a room with a court reporter, our interpreter, Daina, Marite, the girls and three court officials. They briefly asked questions of each of us.

Marite was asked how she felt about the girls leaving Selga. She said because they came to the orphanage at such an early age they feel like her own children, but she knows this is best. It’s obvious that she cares about them very much. After the questions, we were granted the right to take the next step in our adoption, which is to spend these next days here with the girls.

The four of us dashed in the rain to our rental car. I told the girls that the other very important day in our lives that it rained was our wedding day. Agnese decided that this must be a sign of good luck. 

The First Night

We were told that we would spend the first night with them in a two-bedroom hotel room and then move to our guesthouse the next day. The hotel was a Latvian Bed and Breakfast—very small, but charming. We went to dinner at a place called, Tex Mex. It was a mix of what we experience in Colorado and Latvian fare complete with potatoes and green beans. Since we would have nothing to do that evening we bought a game to play and returned to our room.

Once there, we presented the girls with their favorite foods from their visit to America, chips and salsa for Baiba and potato chips and French onion dip for Agnese. We all munched away and laughed as we played a sort of Latvian Shoots and Ladders called Cirks.

True Confessions

When we saw the girls again for the first time in so long, I had a moment of panic, a feeling of— what have we done?  It's one thing to romanticize an international adoption and the long struggle to get them; it was another thing to see them sitting in front of us, two human beings, fully our responsibility. I wondered if all adoptive parents feel this way, or in fact all parents. In the morning I shared these feelings with David who had gone through the exact same thing. By the time the sun was up however, the trepidation had passed for both of us and we were ready to begin the next chapter. 

DAY TWO: The Guest House and Dandelions

On Saturday we moved into our cute little guesthouse. It has a good-sized bedroom for David and me, a living area with beds for the girls and a kitchenette, as well as a large bathroom complete with a small washing machine. There is a small yard outside our door blossoming with spring flowers. 

There are big healthy dandelions in everyone’s yards. The Latvians consider them just another beautiful wild flower, not the lawn-wreckers that we make them out to be. They even make wreaths for their hair out of them for an annual festival. Wouldn't life be a little lovelier if we could accept weeds as flowers? That's the Latvians for you. 

We dropped off our luggage and went to the grocery store to stock up for a few days. It's a good thing the girls were with us because I would’nt have known what half the stuff was. They picked out several favorite foods that they rarely have as well as some cooking staples. 

Heartstrings Tugged

After dropping off the groceries and settling in, we went to Selga for the girls to get more of their things. While there David and I gave the other orphans gifts—candy and toys for the little ones, and lip smackers and mechanical pencils for the teens. Even a few days later I can’t shake my emotions about that visit. I couldn't help thinking about the feelings of the children, including Baiba, Agnese and Madara, as they are being left off at places like this. I also can't help thinking about the tiny ones who followed me around wanting to hold my hands and be picked up. So heart wrenching. 

Selga is a good place as far as orphanages go, with really nice workers and a very caring director. But as we walked through the halls with the girls I thought about how it would be, kind of like growing up in a run down DMV or some other government facility—barebones and entirely lacking the warmth of a home.

Don't worry, we're all full up for orphans at the Payne household, but if anyone reading this is so inclined…

It's time to pick the girls up from school. Next posting I'll fill you in on our visit with their sister, Madara, taking driving directions from two teenage Latvians, and the near disaster with our rental car.