It was nice getting a ridiculous amount of sleep. When I got to my mom’s house yesterday around 5:30 pm, I knocked out cold by 6:00 pm. I thought I’d be screwed with the jet lagged but I woke up around 7 am in the morning on Christmas day. I felt refreshed and ready to go. Not having my own place since getting back makes unpacking and feeling situated a bit challenging but it doesn’t matter because just being back is enough for me.
I was excited to drive again and be able to go wherever I wanted but when I tried starting my car, it turns out the battery died. I tried getting a new one but all the stores were closed. I had to borrow my moms car to go to a Starbucks. I wanted to get away and start figuring out my plans now that I’m back in the States. I was hoping I was a bit further along business-wise but that isn’t the case.
I went to the Starbucks I used to frequent that’s close to my parents. My brother was meeting me up so I didn’t get much done myself. We hung out and caught up for a bit and then heading back to my mom’s to help clean up for a late Christmas lunch my mom prepared. My mom invited our uncle and his family, our old pastor and his wife from Bethany Church, and the new pastor at Bethany Church (They changed the name of the church but I forgot what it was).
It was great catching up with everyone again. We ate until 4:30 pm and then my brother, sister, and I went to the living room and just caught up for the next 5-6 hours. It seems our parents are officially splitting up. It was a long time coming and we’re actually really happy for both of them. This should have happened 20 years ago but I think they stayed together because of us. We’re now all at an age where we understand and it doesn’t affect us negatively. We all feel comfortable that they are making this decision even though it’s never the ideal.
Our family has grown closer over the years. It’s tough building strong relational ties with family when you aren’t modeled how it’s suppose to look. We’re all discovering what it means to be family and that’s okay. I’m glad that we’re getting closer. It’s no longer older and younger siblings but rather we all have a mutual respect for each other and we can talk to each other on the same level.
Our conversations used to only revolve around only business but it has evolved since then. We now talk about relationships, our flaws, goals, personal growth, and so forth. We’re beginning to have a multi-dimensional relationship with more layers and depth. It’s actually pretty cool. Coming from an Asian family that typically doesn’t know how to show emotions, this is a huge improvement. Hopefully, over the years, we become closer and our kids get modeled what it means to be a healthy family.
Everyone parted ways and I went to sleep around 12:00 am. I think I’m adjusting without having any issues with jet lag. It might have been beneficial not sleeping on the plane. I still haven’t had time to really reflect on the trip. In the coming days, I’ll have the time to look back and review what I’ve learned, how I grew as a person, and how I’ll proceed in the future. There are still a lot of unknowns but I’m so grateful for this opportunity and I’m excited for what’s to come.