My niece and nephew have kept me in my home city. They're also why I'm deciding to leave.
A personal essay explores the internal conflict of a professional living in their hometown to be near family while yearning for the career opportunities of a major city. The author reflects on the balance between emotional fulfillment and personal ambition.
Why it matters
This highlights the common modern struggle of balancing family obligations with individual career goals and lifestyle preferences in a post-pandemic world.
Since moving back to St. Louis, I've become very close with my niece and nephew. Ashli Pollard Five years ago, I moved back to my hometown of St. Louis with plans to return to New York City. However, I've become very close with my niece and nephew — and that love has kept me here. Now, I'm realizing that leaving might teach them to take risks and follow their dreams. As soon as I walk into my sister's house, my 1-year-old niece strikes the perfect "Home Alone" face and shrieks in delight. She races into my arms and I pick her up, both of us touching noses and smiling. I hear my 5-year-old nephew call out my name from the living room, and I walk over to find him stomping around like a dinosaur. I ask what he is today, and he growls, "I'm a T. rex!"
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