Swaroopa - I can relate to all of it being the same shoes. We had an expat experience in Singapore with a live-in helper and I realized that I'd become too American (self-reliant) for my own good to even reap the benefits of the help. I think it's a personal choice and decision, and I too prefer the life in the US with the small freedoms. Being away from aging parents is tough, but life has a way of working itself out.