Chapter 9: Deseando Todo (Desiring it All): Balancing Work and Life as a Latina in the Academy

Those are the piercing words my seven year old expressed to me exactly 43 days prior to my beginning a piece on balancing work and life. I marked the day on my calendar, took a picture, and set it as my screen saver as a reminder of how my life as a scholar affects those around me. As a wife and mother, I have aimed to find a balance between work and home. Growing up I saw mami—my own mother—leave home before the sun came up. I, like my own daughter, cried when she could not comb my hair on picture day, or when papi became angry with me when what he prepared for breakfast was not how mami would make it. Like my mami, I play many roles for many people.