Adoption and self discovery

Finding My Place:

Growing up, I always knew I was adopted. It was never a secret, and my parents never let me feel anything but loved. But still, there was a quiet question that lingered in the background: Where did I come from?

Being adopted is like holding the corner pieces of a puzzle but not knowing what the full picture looks like. I had this foundation of love and stability from my adoptive family, but there were parts of myself I couldn’t quite place – traits, emotions, and curiosities that didn’t have a clear origin. It wasn’t a void, but more like an itch, a soft pull that whispered, there’s more to your story.

How Adoption Shaped Me:

As I got older, I realised that adoption isn’t just a moment when a child is placed into a home; it’s a journey that unfolds over time. It’s a path that weaves together the past, the present, and the future in a way that can feel both empowering and overwhelming.

In my teens and early twenties, I started to notice how much adoption shaped me – not just in terms of my family dynamics, but in the way I approached relationships and life itself. I’ve always had this deep desire to feel connected and secure. At times, that made me fiercely loyal to the people I loved, but it also made me wary of loss. I felt like I had to work twice as hard to prove my worth, to show people that I was someone they should keep around.

But adoption isn’t all about challenges – it’s about resilience, too. It taught me how to adapt, how to love deeply, and how to see family as something far bigger than biology. It gave me the ability to find joy in unlikely places and to build meaningful connections wherever I go.

Embracing My Journey:

As I traveled, I found myself drawn to stories of identity and belonging. Whether it was sitting on a beach in Bali or sharing a laugh with strangers on a party boat in Gili T, I realized how much people crave connection, no matter where they come from. Traveling has helped me feel less alone in my journey, showing me that everyone is searching for their place in the world, in one way or another.

And that’s the thing about adoption – it’s not a one-sided story of loss or gain. It’s a layered experience of both. It’s a journey that taught me the importance of letting go of what I cannot control while embracing the parts of myself that make me me.

Every step of this journey has brought me closer to understanding who I am, not just as an adopted child, but as a person with a story that’s uniquely my own. And while I don’t need every piece of the puzzle to feel whole, I’ve learned that seeking them out is a testament to my strength, my curiosity, and my determination to live a life full of meaning and connection.

Adoption isn’t the end of a story; it’s the beginning of one. And mine? It’s just getting started.