I thought I knew my dad. The pandemic taught me I was wrong.

It took me a year of quarantining to understand great father-daughter relationships can transcend distances. 

My dad was always present in my life emotionally but not physically. That's because he was always working. Like many immigrants, my dad, who moved here from South Korea, came to this country with the goal of creating a better future for his family. This meant working undesirable hours, taking late-night shifts and, ultimately, sacrificing time with me.

I remember when he would come home late and miss dinner, eventually mustering the energy to eat instant ramen alone in the middle of the night. Other times, he looked like a zombie as he dragged himself through the door and went straight to bed.