Are you close to your immediate family?

[Descartes]

I'm something of a traveling consultant, and I spend probably 80% or so of my time away from home. I keep an apartment in a couple of the places where I spend a large portion of my time, but also maintain my home at home. I'll generally work in one location for a week or two at most, and then I'll fly home for a few days.

So, given the above I am often asked the question, "Why?" Why would I assume the expense and exhaustion from constant travel and the maintenance of multiple households? I usually respond with something like, "Home is with my family"; unfortunately, most people know I am single and are therefore left with asking the awkward question, "What family?"

I am extremely close to my mother and brother, and I would quite literally do anything for them. I grow tired from having to constantly explain this and rationalize my behavior, and to be perfectly honest I'm a little concern that it's something that seems so foreign to many.

Any thoughts? Am I the proverbial momma's boy?

 

[her209]

I knew a guy who has two wives in two states.

 

[Ryan]

I talk to my parents at least 4-5 times a week My sister lives 5 minutes away, I see her on a daily basis

Yeah - kinda close

 

[notfred]

not really. I barely talk to my brother, my dad is kind of an asshole, and my mom is nice but I just don't see her that much.

 

[sixone]

You should consider yourself lucky to have family you can be close with. Most of mine are insane, so I deeply appreciate the ones that aren't.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
I talk to my parents at least 4-5 times a week My sister lives 5 minutes away, I see her on a daily basis

Yeah - kinda close

That's great man. When home I'm much the same way: I see my brother just about every day, and several times a week all of us go out and do something. I still talk to my mom just about every day even when I'm away

 

[JetBlack69]

I talk to my parents daily. I talk to my sister about once a month.

 

[Blayze]

yes, also with my cousin and her son. Her son is basically like a little brother to me.

 

[Platypus]

not really

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: sixone

Originally posted by: Descartes
I'm something of a traveling consultant, and I spend probably 80% or so of my time away from home. I keep an apartment in a couple of the places where I spend a large portion of my time, but also maintain my home at home. I'll generally work in one location for a week or two at most, and then I'll fly home for a few days.

So, given the above I am often asked the question, "Why?" Why would I assume the expense and exhaustion from constant travel and the maintenance of multiple households? I usually respond with something like, "Home is with my family"; unfortunately, most people know I am single and are therefore left with asking the awkward question, "What family?"

I am extremely close to my mother and brother, and I would quite literally do anything for them. I grow tired from having to constantly explain this and rationalize my behavior, and to be perfectly honest I'm a little concern that it's something that seems so foreign to many.

Any thoughts? Am I the proverbial momma's boy?

You have to justify this to your mother and brother? Is that what you mean?

No, sorry, I should have clarified. My mother and brother know very well why I do it, but they've never once made me feel like I had to; rather, I just know they want me around, and so I do my best to make it so.

I was referring more to the justification with clients. I just had a dinner meeting with a large client and a nice offer was made for another project that would keep me away from home even more. I explained that it wasn't feasible and I was met with the awkward pause that I described in my original post.

People are just curious, and I can certainly appreciate that. I guess I just have trouble imagining not being that close to my immediate family.

 

[sixone]

Originally posted by: Descartes
No, sorry, I should have clarified. My mother and brother know very well why I do it, but they've never once made me feel like I had to; rather, I just know they want me around, and so I do my best to make it so.

I was referring more to the justification with clients. I just had a dinner meeting with a large client and a nice offer was made for another project that would keep me away from home even more. I explained that it wasn't feasible and I was met with the awkward pause that I described in my original post.

People are just curious, and I can certainly appreciate that. I guess I just have trouble imagining not being that close to my immediate family.

Pffft, who cares what they think? We all have choices to make, the point is to be happy with your life.

 

[xSauronx]

im pretty close to my immediate family, the rest of the family i barely know though, and most of the all live here

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: rbloedow
I talk to my parents at least 4-5 times a week My sister lives 5 minutes away, I see her on a daily basis

Yeah - kinda close

That's great man. When home I'm much the same way: I see my brother just about every day, and several times a week all of us go out and do something. I still talk to my mom just about every day even when I'm away

eh - not really - I'm just a little bitch who just moved out on his own recently. Gotta detach myself one day

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: sixone

Originally posted by: Descartes
No, sorry, I should have clarified. My mother and brother know very well why I do it, but they've never once made me feel like I had to; rather, I just know they want me around, and so I do my best to make it so.

I was referring more to the justification with clients. I just had a dinner meeting with a large client and a nice offer was made for another project that would keep me away from home even more. I explained that it wasn't feasible and I was met with the awkward pause that I described in my original post.

People are just curious, and I can certainly appreciate that. I guess I just have trouble imagining not being that close to my immediate family.

Pffft, who cares what they think? We all have choices to make, the point is to be happy with your life.

Absolutely. I don't care whether they think it's normal or not; rather, I just found it as curious as they found me.

 

[EmperorIQ]

you work for pwc?

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: rbloedow

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: rbloedow
I talk to my parents at least 4-5 times a week My sister lives 5 minutes away, I see her on a daily basis

Yeah - kinda close

That's great man. When home I'm much the same way: I see my brother just about every day, and several times a week all of us go out and do something. I still talk to my mom just about every day even when I'm away

eh - not really - I'm just a little bitch who just moved out on his own recently. Gotta detach myself one day

No doubt. I actually didn't have a very good relationship with my brother growing up as we are so very different. I actually lived with him for a short time, but I'll never do it again

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ
you work for pwc?

I don't know what that is, so I'm assuming that answers your question

I'm self-employed.

 

[StageLeft]

Geopgraphically not at all.

 

[EmperorIQ]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ
you work for pwc?

I don't know what that is, so I'm assuming that answers your question

I'm self-employed.

haha ok, Price Waterhouse Coopers, they are the only consulting firm that I know of that expects their employees to do at least 80% traveling, the others, i think, expect around 60%. This is for network security btw, not accounting.

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ
you work for pwc?

I don't know what that is, so I'm assuming that answers your question

I'm self-employed.

Price Waterhouse Coopers, i belive they still have a small consutling part they like to call "advisory" but they sold most of it to IBM who turned it into IBM BCS

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ
you work for pwc?

I don't know what that is, so I'm assuming that answers your question

I'm self-employed.

haha ok, Price Waterhouse Coopers, they are the only consulting firm that I know of that expects their employees to do at least 80% traveling, the others, i think, expect around 60%. This is for network security btw, not accounting.

um every consulting firm says expect 80% or more travel

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Geopgraphically not at all.

Skoorbage... long time no speak.

:thumbsup:

 

[moshquerade]

mom, 3 brothers and 1 sister - we are all tight

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ
you work for pwc?

I don't know what that is, so I'm assuming that answers your question

I'm self-employed.

haha ok, Price Waterhouse Coopers, they are the only consulting firm that I know of that expects their employees to do at least 80% traveling, the others, i think, expect around 60%. This is for network security btw, not accounting.

Well, I am working on a very large project for a very large accounting firm if that makes any difference

I don't know if I could ever go back to being an employee. Freedom lost once gained could be painful.

 

[nageov3t]

I consider myself close to my family, but if I were in your situation, there's no way I'd go through that kind of trouble.

my sister and I talk all the time (several times a day), but I can't remember the last time I actually saw her (despite the fact that she only lives 10 minutes away). I make a point of seeing both my parents at least once a week (I probably talk to my mom 2-3 times/week, but she calls me), but when I was in college, 3 hours away and without a car, I only saw them during summers and holidays.

I love my family, but at the same time, it's not like there's some hole in my life if I go awhile without actually "seeing" them.