My weekend trip to NYC this past weekend was my first visit back home in a long time, but also sadly an inauspicious one. I had just come home from a Friday mixer with the new residents and fellow when I got a phone call from my parents about my aunt’s passing. After seeing post-ops Saturday morning, I caught a last-minute flight that landed in time for lunch with my parents in Flushing before spending a quiet evening at home. On Sunday morning, the family congregated over take-out dim sum at my auntie’s place, which gave me a chance to catch up with the many cousins I’ve lost contact with. We took a photo of us, although our black suits made us look more like the Triad. The funeral itself brought back memories of Buddhist chants and joss paper, which to my surprise, I still remembered to fold. We celebrated my mom’s birthday over Chinese seafood, and before I knew it, was back in Durham by late evening. I was disappointed by the airline’s refusal to ease the cost of the overpriced flight despite a death in the family. With my upcoming expenses for conferences and interviews, I’ll need to starting saving up.