Pat leave reflections

I had the unique privilege of getting paid to spend a couple of months with my family after my son arrived. I am glad I got it. Here are some thoughts about it on my first day back at work.

• We hotly debated whether I should take it all in "one go" or break it up. I am so happy I took it in one go. 0 regrets on this one.
• Seeing him change every few days was magical and like meeting a new person each time.
• Being around for milestones—even the smallest ones—is so much fun. And it is a reminder that seeing someone else do something for the first time is incredibly satisfying. This may be part of why adults are bored. You have to make up the milestones, and laziness gets in the way.
• Being (partially) unemployed was great for playing around with AI advancements and experiencing it myself vs just reading or hearing about it.
• More appreciation for how my parents view and think about me and the parent-child relationship.