I left Momma, Dad, and Mi Hermanita at the airport last night. Mom burst into tears. I felt a bit stunned seeing her face change so suddenly. I know that she was distressed about the change for a few days ahead of time because she had been a bit high strung, driving both Mi Hermanita and I crazy. This move for the year is not what the tears were about though. My whole nuclear family can feel the change in our dynamic with the presence of Bombay Dream in my life. Leaving them in transit between the domestic and international airport to follow Bombay Dream into the hustle and bustle of people jostling for a piece of the pie was scary and exhilarating for me. Mom’s never cried for any other change- not when we went to college, not when we moved to bigger cities, not when we bounced around visiting other places, not when we switched careers- we always leave in pursuit of something and mom is usually one hundred percent “go get it kid.” This particular move I am pursuing many things, but the biggest and most difficult for my folks is my pursuit to create my own family. I do not feel like I am leaving my family. In fact in some ways this endeavor scares me because I will most likely pull my family closer. During this somewhat tumultuous Charlie-Brown decade I have increasingly focused on trying to hear my voice and listening to her. I am baffled that this feels so right. Sometimes, while trolling the streets, I have the sudden sensation of waking up, like starting from a dream. I look around and put my hand to my chest to make sure it’s beating and ask myself “so this is what you want to do?” My eyes shift to my ring finger, raise my eyebrows, and I answer, “Actually, yeah, this is.”