There’s one thing that has changed quite significantly in my routine this year: my work patterns and shift schedules.

Before, I still had the opportunity to meet my family at least once a week. Now the situation is a little different. With an increasingly packed schedule and tighter shift rotations, the gap between one chance to go home and the next has grown longer.

And honestly, this isn’t something that’s easy to get used to.

I used to be able to count that every seven days, I’d have a chance to go home and see my family. Now, in certain periods, I can only meet them every eleven days.

Four extra days might sound trivial if you just look at the numbers.

But when you live it, the difference is quite significant.

Especially when there are so many small moments that are usually enjoyed with family — sharing meals, having casual conversations, or just sitting together without thinking about work waiting the next day.

What’s also quite challenging is when public holidays come around.

For some people, the calendar shows a day off.

But for shift workers, especially those in operational services that need to run 24/7, public holidays are often just red numbers on the calendar without any real change to the work schedule.

The system must keep running.

Services must remain available.

And work must continue as usual.

Of course, I understand that every type of job has its own consequences. There are professions that follow regular office hours, and there are also professions that must ensure operations keep running whenever needed.

That’s why I don’t see this situation as something wrong.

It’s just that, as an ordinary human being, there are times when fatigue and longing for family appear more often than before.

But on the other hand, I’ve also started to realize that this is part of the process that must be endured.

Not every career phase will feel comfortable.

Not every opportunity comes in ideal conditions.

There are times when we have to accept that the current situation might not be the most comfortable, but it remains an important part of the journey toward better opportunities in the future.

For now, what I can do is adapt.

Learn to manage time as best as possible.

Make every opportunity to meet family more meaningful.

And continue doing my work professionally, even though the schedule isn’t always what I hope for.

Because in the end, every experience — even the heavy ones — usually brings lessons that will be useful in the future.

Who knows, a few years from now, I might look back at this phase and realize that all the adjustments, sacrifices of time, and adaptation processes I’m going through today turned out to be an important part that led me toward better opportunities.