Kayak trips, flight delays, and a soft spot to land

July held glimmers — and surprises ✨

Before the month even began, July already felt a bit precarious. We had two trips planned — a week in Vermont with my family and a week in Pittsburgh visiting Billy’s family — each a few days apart. We worked out a system where Billy would drive to both places with his music equipment, playing shows between vacations, while I would fly to both destinations with our daughter and, in the days leading up to and following both trips, play the role of solo parent at home.

For the most part, we made it work, thanks to plenty of help from relatives and friends who assisted with child care, transportation to and from the airport, and other tasks. It took a village as they say, but we got through it all. We made the most of our time in Vermont, I squeezed in work where I could, and we survived some major airline travel delays.

Then, I got COVID, and all of our carefully laid plans toppled over. It wasn’t my first time getting the virus, but it was my first time being so ill away from home.