Going for Ella’s exit interview at the United States Embassy in Hanoi was a positive and interesting experience. The picture to the right shows us outside the building after the interview was over. I didn’t really know what to expect, but our time there was much more low key and calm than I had anticipated.

When we arrived our agency’s staff member Hoa had to wait outside. I didn’t realize that because she was not a U.S. citizen, she was not permitted in the building. We had our American staff member with us too, so she came in with us. Before we went through the very minimal security we ran into a family who was leaving after completing their exit interview for their new baby. Their very young, very tiny new baby. All of our red flags raised immediately. There was no way that this baby was more than three months old. We exchanged pleasantries and went on our way.

Inside the main room we talked a little about this family and how “interesting” it was that they were at this point in their adoption with a baby so young. We only waited a short time for it to be our turn for our interview. There were only a handful of people in the large waiting room. Our interviewer was lovely and (of course ;)) was smitten with Ella. We were prepared for the questions and answered everything easily. Miss Ella was content to play with some of the things we brought for her and it was over in the course of a few minutes.

I still remember the “Wall O’ Babies” that hung next to our interviewer. It was passport sized photos of all the adopted babies who had come through this very place. It was just amazing to realize that Ella’s picture would hang there and now there are parents looking at her sweet face as they wait for this final ok to go home.