Been back in Asia now for a few days. Still catching my breath from the US.
Life is a beautiful thing. Having a family is a beautiful thing.
Having family spread across the globe is a complicated thing!
This trip was mostly a personal trip, to have my family back home meet my son for the first time.
Miles can still fly free at this age, so trying to take advantage of that. Though a lap seat is a tough job for a parent! A good tip I learned from a friend Nicky is make friends around you and try to pass the baby around. Note that if you’re a soon to be parent with needs to fly him or her internationally.
I had some business meetings booked, but luckily not too many – as it was so hard to move around with a kid!
When To Come Again To America?
Its funny, when I was “young” I never really planned that far now. Now as a daddy, I’m thinking years and decades into the future.
I’m still trying to plan, when should I come again with the full family. Or maybe Wendy can hang out in China while I take the kids? It was hard on her too with all the travel.
The earliest time to come will probably be in about a year. Need to check with airlines how much Miles’s plane ticket will cost – he’ll be about 2 and a half years old at that time, with a six month old sibling.
##Keep The Trip Simple Next Time – Just Florida
So for those friends and family I met last time in California, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey – plan to come to Florida next time to meet me and the fam. I thought that this time having a few day layover in a couple other cities would be do-able – I was wrong.
I don’t care if I have to make a layover on the same ticket in New Jersey for eight hours, we will just hang out in the airport. Or maybe I can invite people to meet in the airport during that layover time? Hmm, thinking outloud here.
Seeing My Family Makes Me Miss Them More
Not sure if this is strange to say, but seeing my family makes it harder to say goodbye. Throughout my journey to living and working in Asia, I have always wondered how things would turn out. Who would have expected that I would be permanently living here when things started out in 2007?
Yet I am still here. There was this underlying tone from family members that may have hoped I’d announce I was moving back to America. Just maybe my own internal thought process too.
Going years without family is tough. Then suddenly seeing everyone only to say good bye again is rough! For the past few days back in China I am just thinking about family back home. Wondering what they are doing these days since I parted with them again.
Motivation To Earn More
Racking up the charges on my credit card, still a bit hesitant to login to HSBC online banking and check the statement. As I was swiping the card for unexpected charges and costs during the trip, it just gave me a motivation that I will need to earn more money.
That is the main job of a father, right? To be a provider. Now I know why my dad had so much pressure.
It is really true, you appreciate your own parents the most once you become a parent yourself.
Trip Again Confirmed Asia Is My Home For The Foreseeable Future
If anything, the time spent back in the states re-confirmed that Asia is where me and the family will be for the next few years or more. Of course I love to see my friends and family, as well as the food and culture, but business for me is in Asia.
I laughed as I noticed I had a lot of chats and emails coming in during the night. I realized that most of the people I work with are in China and Southeast Asia now. While most of my work is “location independent”, I do prefer to work while the sun is still up.
I almost feel guilty to my family for living in Asia.
I remember the stories when I was visiting my relatives in Italy. They explained how a lot of the family members begged my grandfather and great grandfather to return back to Italy and leave New York. Those days it was snail mail letters and month long boat rides.
My great grandfather did end up moving back from New York to live the rest of his life in Italy. But my grandfather stayed in New York and raised his family.
Maybe I am just continuing the path baked into my genes. The challenge and the adventure.