The Story of Madison Archer – An International Adoptee

My name is Madison and I’m from North Carolina, USA. And I’m an international adoptee.

My life story is interesting to say the least.

I was born in June of 1998 in Guatemala. I was adopted by a loving family in January of 1999. I have an older brother who’s also an international adoptee.

I was raised in a small town, had a normal childhood, and family/friends that supported me. I played sports, went to a public school, church, and hung out with friends. I graduated High School in 2017 and then College in 2020. 

My family and I visited Guatemala in July of 2018. As soon as I stepped out of the Guatemalan airport, I felt like I was home. My first trip back was magical to say the least and I didn’t want to return to the U.S. 

In January of 2019, I started an Occupational Therapy Assistant program. The program took two full years to complete. There were ups and downs throughout the program, especially with the pandemic, but my class did graduate. After graduation, I had to take a National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

Discovering Madison

I always had an ideal plan on when I would return back to Guatemala. It was going to be after the exam.

My goal has always been to learn Spanish. I chose Ixchel Spanish School in Antigua, Guatemala because of their mission, prices, and accommodations were the best. 

I planned to travel to Guatemala, January-March of 2021… but life happened and everything changed. Everything seemed to have failed. Although, that did not stop me. 

I postponed my trip and decided to travel September-December of 2021. I thought 10 weeks would be enough time to learn the language and accomplish everything I wanted. But I was wrong. 

I fell in love with my country and decided to stay longer. 

Of course, I missed my family and friends, but I created lifelong friendships in Guatemala as well.

The Journey of an International Adoptee

So, what’s the purpose of my blog?

I want to share my personal life experiences as an international adoptee. Not all adoptees are the same, but our feelings are valid and we all have one thing in common. We’re all adoptees

I want to give non-adoptees an insight of what it’s like being adopted by providing help, education, and resources.

Many of my posts will be about my journey as an adoptee. However, I still plan to share other life experiences.

“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do” – Oprah Winfrey

XOXO,

Madison Archer