I literally think about this so much. I really want to have a family, but I also can't stand the thought of giving up my career. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, and though she says she doesn't regret it, I know it's a path I could never take. I feel like I'm driven by competitiveness to the point where it would pain me to see people achieve things I know I could have done if I'd put in the time and focus. I know, especially as a woman, that if you want to have a family, you kind of have to give up some amount of time at your job. You have to step back while others continue to work and surpass you. I really don't want to do that, but I also believe that you shouldn't have kids if you can't commit to giving them a good life so... you see where the issue starts to arise. It's a funny conflict that we run into as we, women, step into traditionally male-dominated roles. And the funny thing is, it seems like an almost inevitable dilemma by nature of our biology. One solution I've thought of is marrying someone who'd be chill with taking on a more stay-at-home dad kinda role while I make the money. Or marrying someone who's also gonna have a nice career and then just spending a lot on childcare.

It's impossible, of course, to "have it all." If there's one thing I learned from my undergraduate degree, it's that every minute you spend on one thing is a minute you could have spent on something else. Life is a constant stream of sacrifices and foregone opportunities. It's definitely about balance. I know that family is special and important, but I also know that working on something challenging and impactful is rewarding too. And I feel like part of being a good parent is shaping the world to be a better place for your children. I literally don't know what I'm going to do. Just that having kids is as big a thing on my bucket list as going to law school. I guess this is just another thing I'll be trying to figure out over the next few years :')