30 years ago, my father married my mother and reluctantly followed her to America in search of better work opportunities. There was no extravagant wedding or ceremony involved, just a wedding certificate and some cheap studio photos. With that and some clothes, my parents arrived to America to start a new chapter of their lives. Essentially that meant working to the bone in order to make ends meet. Of course, they made time to go on vacation and even traveled to various parts of Asia (first photo). 30 years later, not much has changed except the fact that vacations are now with four people rather than two. As they inch closer to retirement age, my sister and I have been encouraging them to go out and live their lives beyond their parental roles. However, it's been so many years since they've had time alone that they don't really know how to spend it without us. Even when offered a "honeymoon" vacation for just the two of them, they insisted on a family vacation for four (second photo). And every vacation since then has been no less than a 4/4 attendance. Quite frankly, I don't think they can ever live their lives beyond their parental roles nor do they want to. Rather than just being roles, it's a crucial part of their identity. With that being said, happy 30 years of marriage to my parents!

– Lily D.

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant