Spare her man. Even if she got back with you, you already left once and for the worst reason possible. You decided you'd rather be with someone else which im sure made her feel less than. She'd always wonder when it'll happen again.

So I grew up below the poverty line. I am a first generation American and saw my parents struggle. My dad was a contractor (handyman type) and he does some back breaking work. I started working with him on weekends when I was about 11.

Long story short, I appreciated what my dad does but did not want live like he did (paycheck to paycheck, always in some physical pain) so I decided to pursue a career in STEM. There were a lot of times I wanted to quit and drop out but every time I did there would be an odd-job my dad had for me to do that reminded me why I was doing everything I was doing. I'm now in my 30s and he's in his 60s and still working as a contractor. To this day I will still do an odd-job with him from time to time to remind myself of why I keep going down the path I'm going.

I currently work as an engineer and I'm pursuing a PhD. This is how I stay motivated.