After almost a year of pouring over websites, considering options and planning out a detailed itinerary, my husband and I bought tickets for a rare trip for ourselves, no kids. 

Right now, we “should” be on this big adventure.  About halfway through, as a matter of fact. 

But… we’re not. 

We cancelled the original flights in late March.  In April, we planned a slightly different trip, eliminating part we knew wouldn’t happen under current conditions.  By May, we gave up on any trip at all.

But here’s the silver lining—and it’s one that New Englanders know already, too.  New England—particularly Vermont—is absolutely gorgeous in the summer. 

Tonight, we just spent a perfect evening.  We sat around the new wooden table my husband and son made together.  We ate appetizers of homemade pizza from the new wood-fired pizza oven, followed by steak from the new wood-fired grill.  And as the sun set and the moon rose, we enjoyed the soft lighting under the pergola… all of these, projects completed thanks to a bit more time and a lot of family help, due to COVID-19. 

Our big trip remains in the future, at some point when it seems wise to venture farther from home again.  For now, I am grateful for the silver lining of being here, in our own backyard, surrounded by those we love. 

There’s no place like home.