After some serious thought and a few readers questions on the whole search aspect of adoption, I decided I should clarify some points on my own personal journey.
First, my adoption from pregnancy until finalization was all completed in the United States. I have very little experience in International adoption and although I have plenty of resources available for someone searching outside the United States, I do not have the personal knowledge to write about it on a regular basis.
I am working with a friend one mine who was adopted internationally, and will hopefully provide some articles on how to begin a search that way.
Second, the misconception with my search was that it was truly easy and had a happily ever after. Well, to all appearances it is and was a happily ever after. I have a wonderful relationship with my biological mother right now and am so happy to have her as a big part of my life. But it wasn’t always that way. First the entire search process took several years. Our face to face reunion took several more, and it’s been three years since I last looked at her. So it’s not perfect, and it wasn’t always easy and wonderful. There are a lot of details I left out to protect her privacy as well as other family members. There are plenty of skeletons in the family closet.
Third, I actually do have experience helping other’s search for their long lost relatives. I’ve been doing it for about the past nine or ten years. It isn’t always a biological connection, I’ve helped friends find each other again, and I’ve even reconnected with old friends. The only experience I don’t have of course, pertains to outside the USA. Otherwise the information I provide to you, are methods and advice that I’ve used myself to aid not only in my own personal search, but in other’s searches too.
I truly hope that this helps clear up any confusion that I might have caused by just jumping in and giving search advice. If you have any other questions, just ask!