{Fairfield, California}
As a fledgling adult who moved away from home for college then medical school, my family often made trips to visit me, especially to drop off or prepare a home-cooked meal (I lived 30 minutes away from home for college and 7 hours away for medical school). Now that I’ve completed all my training, I return the favor for all the support I received and visit them in northern California as often as I can (except I’m not the best cook, so my family probably prefers that I NOT make the home-cooked meals). I am currently staying at my parents’ place this weekend for a mini family reunion and feel pretty excited that I get to reunite with family members visiting from the Philippines whom I haven’t seen in years (and apparently there’s a boxing match everyone’s watching tonight). We all have our own priorities in life and at one point my education and career took precedence over family, but I learned my lesson after missing out on numerous momentous events. Having a lucrative career can bring a sense of satisfaction, but true happiness can’t be attained unless balanced with those who support you the most.
I hope you have a balanced weekend!