I currently live with my wife and my 10-month-old son. My mom is about an hour away. When I moved out of her house, we had a short falling out, but over the years it seemed to mellow out. We get along fine now.
I am proud that despite a lot of setbacks I’ve had in my life, I was always able to overcome. I’m also proud of my biological mother, because I’m sure it wasn't easy for her to give me up.
My goal for this year is to visit my biological family. I recently found them on Facebook. They were very excited and shocked that I found them, and now we talk almost every day. There is a language barrier, of course, so I’m learning Russian, so I can communicate better. Honestly, I’m very glad that our relationship is so healthy because I’ve struggled with never knowing who my family was for such a long time. It truly is a remarkable achievement.
In ten years I see myself in the same house with a stable job. I also want to stay in contact with my biological family. I would also like for them to visit America; however, my biological mother is not getting any younger, so that would take a lot out of her.
Right now only money is holding me back. That and time. Even if I just had a couple weeks to go visit my family in Russia, it would be the puzzle piece I have been missing for such a long time. One thing my dad did when he first adopted me from Russia was journal his travels day-by- day. A few years ago I wrote a book, called Kommunarov St., combining his journals and my own thoughts about my beginnings.
Sharing my story is important because people need to hear these sides of people. I believe adoptees and their stories often go unnoticed just because not enough attention is given to them. I understand some people may not ever want to know who their biological family is, but I am incredibly lucky to have found where my roots are. I think every adoptee should speak up, tell their story, and be confident in themselves for doing so because, even if the adoption didn't go well or it wasn't to their expectations, it still defines you as a person more than people realize.