By the time I handed off the covid project at work at the end of July I needed a break. And since I hadn’t even started my day job, it was the perfect time to be gone—it’s not like anyone would even miss me. So I booked a flight to Idaho to visit my family there and enjoy the hot dry summer weather.

It was low-key as far as vacations go. Everyone else was still doing regular life, and the pandemic conditions made “fun” things like going out to eat a little more awkward. I spent most of the days at the parents’ house, and I went on a lot of long walks through the neighbourhoods (and discovered for example that they’ve been hiding ponds down the street all these years).

In the evenings we got together with Heather’s family for dinner or talking or taking out stitches or analysing each other’s strengthsfinder results. And on Saturday, as the grand finale, we all went boating on Lake Payette—which was probably the first time since high school that I’ve bee boating!

It was a great visit. A change of pace and great to see everyone.