From the sounds of it, you and I have somewhat different situations. For me, my friends and family are scattered around the globe and the likelihood of them ever coalescing into one geographic region is slim to none. Part of that is because I've traveled a lot and the people I care about are also people with interests and passions that take them to distant places where they sometimes decide to put down roots.

However, wherever I do end up, I hope that it will be a place where I can make a lot of friends and build some kind of community. I guess that's something my family and friends have in common: a strong drive to build community of some kind, either on a large scale or through small groups with close bonds. Like many of my friends, I'm at an age where I'm taking a stab at realizing my ambitions and realizing that it might be a while yet before I find the next place I'll call "home".

I don't know that it's necessarily noble to want to stay geographically close to one's kith and kin, but it's certainly something I want for myself. Anyway, for both of us, I hope that the professional side and the personal side can be reconciled. It's tough, but you're right: it's worth it.