My caregiving experience has shaped my goals, journey, and identity so much that I feel like a different person now than before. It shaped my identity and journey differently, but my goals are the same. I take care of my dad. He is sick and handicapped, because he cannot walk or has a hard time walking. He uses crutches to keep a balance because his legs go weak. Taking care of him is an experience. It all started around three or four years ago. I was in my senior year in high school. Around this time, it was not as bad as it is now. It slowly got worse as time passed. There are more doctor appointments and more hospital trips than before. If I have plans, I need to schedule my plans around him. For example, if I plan to go to the gym, I need to schedule my time to go to the gym when he is asleep or taking a shower. Also, he has a chance of falling, so I have to keep an eye on him because he has fallen many times. Scheduling classes has been difficult, too. I have to schedule my classes at a decent time, so he is not home alone for a long time. If I have plans to go out for a long period, my mom helps by keeping an eye on him too. I do many things like passing items to him, helping him when he works, cooking or buying food for him, taking him to his appointments, helping him walk to the room, carrying things for him, and pushing him when he sits in a wheelchair. It may not seem like a lot, but for me, it takes a toll. It’s sad to see what my dad goes through, but I also feel sad because I sacrifice my time to help him. It sounds selfish, I know, but some days I feel like that. I do so much, and sometimes he doesn’t appreciate it. However, there is a positive side to this. I spend more time with him and I hear many interesting stories of his past. Caregiving has changed my identity so much. I learned to be more patient, learned to manage my time a bit better, learned to be more compassionate, and learned to be a hard worker. For the longest time, I thought I would have one straight journey, but this threw me for a loop. Now, I am working hard and taking so many classes so I can get ahead. It may be hard to start working because I still need to take care of my dad. My journey in studying has changed a lot. I feel like I am having a hard time studying because I am distracted by caring for my dad. I am trying my best, but it is a lot for me to do. My goals remain the same. One goal is that I want to graduate as soon as possible from the university I am in. Another goal is for me to start working in the field I majored in. I hope I can still accomplish these goals. Some days my dad is happy and not in pain, but other days he is the complete opposite. Those days, needs to be at his side so nothing bad happens. I am not sure what the future holds because I have changed a lot. Caregiving is an experience I will never forget, and the cycle will continue because one day, I will have to help my mom too.