Who are you when you strip away the roles, labels, and expectations? A personal reflection on identity, empty nests, second acts, and the surprising realization that maybe we're not trying to find ourselves at all. Maybe we're works in progress.

I always wanted to be a teacher. But my dad had such a negative opinion of teachers and the education system and was so outspoken about it that I didn’t dare. Off I went to university, as we were all expected to do in my family, and pursued a psychology degree. My dad was a psychologist. Now, to be clear, not once did my dad ever suggest what I ought to do with my life. Or what I ought to be interested in. But I sure wanted to please him, so I made up all kinds of stories a