except I think I sitll ahve passion for my work. But very tired to deal with politics and feel bad about self whenever they took sth important or sth has potential to rise away from me. Must be sth I did wrong or I am not good at. Either way lots of stress. But 3 week vacation appears to be too long for me. by the end of it, I was really looking forward to my project. I guess at some point, life-work balance decides where the ceiling is for people. If one can't handle the stress from politics, 'cause it will be more energy draining than technical stuff, it is better to recognize it and be happy with whatever cards one was dealt.