16 
All bundled up with Hannah in Russia.
Before my Russian family contacted me, I had actually been talking with a documentary film producer who was interested in helping me find my biological mom. In 2013, things were put on hold as we tried to figure out how to tie in my Russian family with the documentary we were working on. It seemed that I’d never meet my family. Then NBC approached my agent and said they wanted to film the reunion. They offered to provide transportation and security, take me to the orphanage where I was adopted, and accompany me to visit the home of my biological family. I immediately said yes, and I decided to take my younger sister Hannah along with me for the trip. She knows exactly how to handle my unique way of dealing with emotions, and I completely trust her advice. As my little sister, she is supposed to look up to me, but I always find myself looking up to her.
On December 8, 2013, Hannah and I made the trip from Baltimore to New York to meet with the NBC crew and travel to Moscow. It was the first stop on our long journey. Leading up to this trip, I tried to remain very calm. I didn’t think too much about what I was about to do. I continued swimming, and I packed as if I were just packing for another swim meet, except with more fleece-lined clothing. I tried to keep my feelings neutral. We landed in Moscow and had a five-hour layover. Just before we were about to board our next flight to Irkutsk, the plane was delayed for another seven hours. The explanation was simple: “This is Russia,” followed by a shrug of the shoulders. We later discovered that those words were the common reply to any question that had an unexplainable answer.
We were finally able to board our plane for Irkutsk, and when we arrived at our hotel, Hannah and I went straight to bed. We were exhausted from more than thirty hours of traveling. Hannah dropped off immediately, but I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be getting much sleep. I woke up at one point and checked the time to find that it was only 1:30 in the morning. My mind kept racing, and I decided I needed to clear my head, so I went to the gym and worked out for three hours. I came back to the room, showered, and watched a TV show, all while Hannah slept peacefully. In case you were wondering, she slept for a healthy thirteen hours.
After breakfast, along with the NBC crew, we drove an hour to the orphanage that had been my temporary home all those years ago. This was such an amazing moment for me. As we walked into the orphanage, caretakers, cameras, and children were everywhere, and they were so excited to meet me! They gave me flowers and led me to several different rooms full of babies and young children. Normally, small children don’t seem to respond well to me, but these little ones ran right up to Hannah and me and threw their arms around our legs with huge smiles on their faces. They just wanted to be held and loved.
Setting up to record an interview with NBC for the documentary “Long Way Home: The Jessica Long Story.” We had to leave the hotel room door open, and our sound guy nearly had a heart attack every time someone stomped by with their suitcase in the hallway.
At the orphanage where I was adopted. Thankfully, they’ve moved to a newer building since my adoption. This adorable baby was so smiley while I held him!
I was able to meet the woman who had handed me over to my adoptive father in 1993. She remembered meeting my dad and asking him what my American name would be. After spending a few hours visiting the different rooms, I went outside to answer questions for NBC. We did small interviews whenever we had any free time.
Hannah and I both stood outside the orphanage, processing all we had just witnessed and trying to convince ourselves not to adopt all of these children and bring them back home with us. Visiting that orphanage and meeting so many beautiful children helped me realize how much my family in Baltimore loves me. I always had a hard time comprehending and processing the love my adoptive family gave to me as a child. Even though I am not a biological daughter to Steve and Beth Long, they love me unconditionally, and in that moment I could finally see it clearly.
Once we left the orphanage, we boarded a train on a journey that would take eighteen long hours. Somehow Hannah and I managed to power through with the help of books, hot chocolate, and lots of laughter. We arrived in Bratsk late in the afternoon the next day.
The mayor met us at the train station with a giant bouquet of pink roses and escorted us to our hotel. I walked into the hotel lobby to find a crowd of kids and parents waiting for me. They asked questions and gave gifts, and one girl even recited a poem. I felt so welcome everywhere I went in Russia. After signing autographs and talking to the group, Hannah and I went to our room to unpack and prepare for one of the biggest moments of my life . . . the day I would meet my Russian family for the first time.
This is the woman who handed thirteen-month-old baby Jess to my dad when he went to the orphanage to adopt me. She remembered asking him what my name would be and him replying, “Jessica.”