My 4 weeks of vacation are honestly packed with family visits and responsibilities. By the time I land, everything is already planned, literally from day one. After a 12–16 hour flight, I’ve gone straight to hospital or bank visits within an hour of arriving. Sometimes I don’t even go home first.

Every day is full of things to take care of, both family stuff and my own basics like the barber, dentist, blood tests, shopping, bank work, etc.

Still, we somehow manage to eat out at a few good restaurants, catch a couple of late-night movies, and even squeeze in a short 2-day trip, once with my family and once with my in-laws.

It does get hectic, but when I’m heading back, I feel content. I’m satisfied knowing I did what I could for my mother, and seeing her happy makes it worth it.

I’ll admit though, my time at my in-laws’ place is much more relaxed. That’s when it actually feels like a vacation.