A week after the kids got out of school, we went to Montana. It was most of our first time out of Massachusetts and first time on an airplane since February 2020. It was our first family vacation since March 2019. It was really, really overdue and extremely, impossible-to-convey wonderful.
When we booked this trip in the winter, I wasn’t sure how covid would unfurl, and staying in the US seemed wise.
It. Was. Magic. Wow. The staff at E Bar L were remarkable, the other guests were warm and interesting, the day had the perfect mix of organization and downtime. Matt and I have decided we have to be more proactive about getting away since it really does help with being in “real life.” We were not riders before, and they were patient with us.
The food was amazing. The campfires were wonderful. The night skies were breathtaking. Whit shot a 20 (out of 25) one day on the skeet range. Grace had a friend from high school working on the staff so hung out with her. The weather was cool which was a lovely respite from the Boston heat. We slept more soundly than we have in a long time.
This is a time of transition for us all. Transition from school to summer, transition from high school to college, transition to children who are adults. We are taking our masks off, getting back to the office and onto airplanes. My mother is moving out of the home she and Dad lived in for 30 years. This upcoming weekend I’ll mark 25 years since college graduation with my best friends (our ersatz reunion replaces an actual one, as the university cancelled reunions this year). The endings come fast and furious, thought they are always paired with beginnings. I find myself nostalgic and hopeful at the same time.
Our children are young adults now and I feel so fortunate that I so thoroughly enjoy their company. They make me laugh, they make me think, they make me proud. They are independent and resourceful and I love this stage of parenting. Our week in Montana felt like a celebration of where we are right now, and if you know me at all you know I’m big on marking and honoring what is real. Here we are. I’m the shortest person in the family. The days that we all live under one roof are over. There is no question Matt and I are in midlife. But I love it. And wow, am I grateful. 