Things I Learned After a Weekend At Home.

• There is no such thing as too much wine


• No matter what - your parents are your biggest support system


• Your grandmother is not as naive and innocent as you think. Thus, listen to her carefully and take her advice. Her life experiences trump yours - ten fold.


• A full house is a happy house. And a house full of family is a house full of love


• Those friends who come over to say hi to your family and end up staying for hours, are the ones who will stay with you forever. They're the ones who are part of your family themselves.


• Traditions are a way for us to confirm our deepest values as a family, as a community


• No matter how hard you try, your mom's pumpkin bread always tastes better than yours


• You are the purest, most real version of yourself around your family


• There is something comforting about sleeping in your old room, surrounded by old memories - even if it means accepting the fact that your room has literally been untouched by the sands time


• As you get older, catching up with your cousins feels like reconnecting with best friends


• Noticing more grey hairs and wrinkles on your parents is no longer amusing, as the weight of their aging begins to really sink in.


• Sharing a silent ride to the airport with your dad at 4 am is the best way to decompress and end a solid weekend at home


• That being happy to return to your city, your job, your own home - means you are in the right place at the right time. And that in itself, is something to be thankful for.