Since Last Offsite

Way too many life events have happened since I last traveled for work (remember the Salt Lake City trip?). Here are the events that I can remember, in no particular order:

1. We received the Advance Parole Document. It all boiled down to the DoJ assigning an attorney to the case. Our lawyer explained to them via email that the USCIS was not producing the document. Within three days, we received an electronic copy of the parole, and soon after, we received two physical copies. Wow! The writ of mandamus is potent. I am impressed.
2. We closed on the house and moved in. The move was a lot of work and very expensive. My brother did the majority of the work, and he deserves all the credit. We feel really good in the new house. It is so big! We have plenty of room. Our responsibilities have also increased accordingly. My brother is playing the role of homeowner, and he loves it!
3. I have been on two first dates. When I was in college, I never thought I would go on a date. Wow! I met the girls through Hinge. Unfortunately, I don’t think I am moving forward with either of these two girls. Even more sadly, I think I have overused Hinge to the point that the algorithm is recommending girls that I don’t like at all!
4. The first date I went on was with a girl from a different part of my native country. She has a different native language and different values. She is short, and I don’t think she is too bright. She is okay. We texted back and forth a couple of times after the date, but she takes a very long time to respond! I don’t think I am interested in moving forward, which is a surprise since they say beggars can’t be choosers.
5. The girl on the second date was amazing. Her family is from the same region as I am from! She is very smart, and she has very similar values to me. I really like her. After the date, I knew that I needed to play it safe and not rush. But my friends convinced me to ask her for another date within 24 hours. I caved in, and I should not have. I missed the shot! Terrible! It was super awkward in the chat later. I regret it. I am pretty sure that I got turned down. This feels like the biggest mistake I have ever made. What a loss.
6. I am traveling to NYC and then to India. My dad got us business class tickets and a 5-star hotel! It’s the best business class in the world and so expensive. I really want to show it off to everyone. I don’t know how to! They say that if you are truly rich, then you won’t name-drop or show off. Then the contrapositive implies that if I show off, then I am not really truly rich. What a pity.
7. On the point of showing off, I wish I had talked less about money, finance, or the new house on my two dates. They must think I am such a jerk.