Now safely home from my own recent vacation to visit our "eastern" (in the eastern U.S.) children, catching up just a bit @newageinv and reading through your recent vacation reflections. This stood out to me:

"When I started my vacation, I was looking forward to reflecting a bit on my career and where my current path lies given the possibilities that I feel exist currently. While I really didn’t get the time I thought to think about this, as I sit here thinking about how much I enjoyed the previous two weeks, I am sure that I want to continue my path towards becoming more financially independent for my family to enjoy the flexibility of being with them as much as I can."

[emphasis mine]

For what it is worth, this old "warhorse" has had many conversations over the years with people who wish they'd spent more time with their families. I suppose there may be those who look back on their lives and say, "... if only I had spent less time with my family ..." I can assure you, though, I have never met them ...

So... Nice to "hear" you reflecting on the important questions we all face about the balance of our time and how it will be spent. Looking forward to "future installments" and how it all works out for you!