What’s so important about spending time with those we care about over the holidays? For some, it might be for the sake of their mental health, for others it might be for the sake of others or to fulfill a responsibility or obligation.

For me, however, it’s for the sake of connection. Before moving here, I rarely saw my limited extended family, so holidays like Christmas always played a major role in building a connection between us. Now, it’s not just my extended family I have limited contact with due to distance, it’s my parents, my close cousins, and even my best friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I chose to live in this area, and I feel a deep connection forming, both with the community itself, and many of the people within it. I can’t tell you how many offers I received to have Thanksgiving dinner with those people I’ve come to love here in New Iberia, when they learned I might not see my family for the holiday. This is truly a beautiful place! With every passing day and every interaction, this place feels more like home.

But nothing can substitute my parents’ love, both through the bad and the good. They support me without question, and they’ve equipped me with everything I need to make it in the world. The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was moving forward and leaving them behind; something that won’t ever truly happen.

So this holiday season, my first living away from home, where I’ve struck out on my own, I made it a point to take the time necessary to be there, not only with them, but with much of my extended family. Whether it be Lake Charles, Slidell or even Arlington, Texas, I found the time and ways to connect with many of them. Their presence has been the best way to ease the burden of the trials I’ve faced this past year.

Many of my oldest and closest friends live far, far away. And yet, many chose to spend some of their limited time back in Louisiana with me. They understand all too well that moving somewhere new can be lonely, especially with no prior connection to the area. I’d like to think my presence helped them as much as theirs helped me. Of course, I am blessed with a job that facilitates meeting many interesting and wonderful people, but many of those connections are strictly professional.

Now, I come out on the other side, into the new year, a refreshed man. My experiences over the past year, for better or worse, have changed me, and quite honestly, drained me. Yet this time I spent reconnecting with my family and friends, experiencing love and a comfortable camaraderie, was the perfect way to refill the tank and prepare me for what yet lies ahead.

Aidan Milford is a reporter at The Daily Iberian. He can be reached at aidanm@daily-iberian.com.