Back to Work!

I went back to work at the end of last week and it feels weird and good and weird.

I miss staring at Rhys the whole day, but I’ve also got to pay the bills and put pho on the table, and I’m really glad I get to do so by being able to do something I genuinely love for a living.

One thing I’m thankful for is that I was able to take a really good paternity leave. In addition to being able to soak up every minute of Rhys’ first month, it helped Deanna with her recovery and made our transition to being parents pretty smooth overall. I don’t take it for granted and I wish every new parent had the chance to do the same. California is one of the better states in this regard, but the US offers no paid maternity leave- unlike other developed countries that offer 18 weeks.

I’m also thankful to work with a team I can count on. They’ve been so generous in helping me put out the fires along the way. I don’t want to take for granted how I was able to make it to almost all of Deanna’s doctor visits even before Rhys was born.

I’ll miss the stillness of paternity leave, but I’m also eager to show Rhys the value of doing meaningful work you love that helps others. It’s good to be back.