Zero to Zen: Ethiopia: Synopsis, Observations, & Impressions

Arriving at Bole Airport in Addis after a long travel day

We got back from Ethiopia three days ago. I am still in a jet-lagged fog right now. At least today I woke up at 5 a.m. instead of 2 a.m. Now that is progress! By dinner time though, I am barely functioning, but need to stay awake so I can try to get back on a normal schedule. Our nearly three weeks in Ethiopia were fabulous! I have so much I want to say and write about. I plan on writing several posts about the trip over the next few weeks as I sort through the 1,000+ pictures I managed to take before my camera finally broke. Instead of starting at the beginning of our trip, I am going to provide a few highlights and impressions from our trip.

Mission accomplished: We finally met K! Biggest disappointment: Our court appointment was canceled once we were already there.
International adoption is a huge roller coaster ride! It is not for the faint at heart.
Ethiopians communicate in a manner characterized as wax and gold (wax being the obvious meaning and gold being the real or hidden meaning). As such, don't take everything literally. Things are what they are and you will sort it out eventually...
We didn't let the disappointment of the K situation ruin our trip. In fact, all things considered, I give us a gold star for how we handled things.
My kids are great travelers. They handled the 30 hour return trip about as well as I did.
Traveling abroad makes you more flexible, especially when traveling on a budget.
Taking kids on such a trip can be challenging at times, but worth it.
Travel is some of best education your kids can get.
Traveling independently is a great way to meet really interesting people. We always do!
Ethiopia is a country with an amazingly rich culture and history.
Don't take clean drinking water for granted.
A local told me that Ethiopians use about 3 liters of water per person per day. I just looked up stats for the U.S. - 176 gallons per day. Are you kidding me?
Appreciate showers... Really appreciate hot showers.
Lower your bathroom standards... A lot. You'll be happier (and more relieved) in the long term.
Master the art of going to the bathroom in "non-western" conditions. Your skills will come in handy more than once.
Expose your children to extreme poverty at least once during their childhood. Suddenly, your conversations about not having the latest gadget or toy seem trivial.
Even if we cut our family's possessions in half, we would still have 5 to 10 times the material well-being of the average middle-class Ethiopian.
I will no longer complain that we are tight on space. Our modest house will suffice just fine with three kids.
Giving trinkets/candy/pens to local kids does nothing to make their situation better. In fact, it makes it worse. Instead of going to school, they are out practicing their aggressive tactics on the farangis (foreigners).
Westerners do this to make themselves feel better/less guilty.
Should we feel guilty about our lives of privilege? I don't know... But it is a good conversation to have with yourself or a friend.
Poverty should bother you.
No matter how much hand washing and careful eating one does, your intestines will eventually succumb to some kind of bacteria.
The only overweight Ethiopians tend to be pretty well-off city dwellers. Does this tell us anything about the "western" lifestyle?
Beef and sheep costs Ethiopians the equivalent to about $2 per pound. Considering the average income in the U.S. is over 100 times that of the average Ethiopian, Americans pay far too little for their meat.
Ethiopians are kind and very generous people.
Finally, become comfortable with being uncomfortable. It is good for the soul.