Today is World Quantum Day—April 14 (4/14). A day meant to celebrate quantum mechanics and its impact on the world.

It made me think of Max Planck.

Back in high school, I admired him so much that some of my friends used to call me by his name. It feels almost distant now, but I remember how deeply I wanted to become a physicist. He wasn’t just a scientist to me—he was a symbol of curiosity, depth, and possibility.

I was accepted as one of the top three students into a top university back home to study physics. I remember how proud and excited I felt… like I was stepping into the life I had imagined for myself.

But my mom didn’t believe that path would give me a stable or bright future there. She encouraged me to choose engineering instead.

And I did.

Today, I find myself wondering… was it the right decision? Or was it the moment I quietly stepped away from something that once felt like me?

I don’t regret who I became—but a small part of me still wonders about the version of me who chose physics.