Wanderlust, Traveling, and I’m Jealous of Minecraft Escapes

My son builds worlds in Minecraft and I’m jealous. He’s got this world where the non-player-characters (NPC) are on virtual reality headsets, an annoyed worker who is the employee of the month, and they can pretty much fly and travel to wherever. Teleport even.

I wish I could teleport. I want to travel.

Wanderlust, Traveling, and I’m Jealous of Minecraft Escapes

I’m thinking of learning Minecraft, although when I tried before, my kid was a reluctant teacher when it came to the basics. Still, to travel virtually?

I miss travel.

One of my favorite things about summer is that we usually enjoy several beach adventures, a birthday trip to celebrate Tucker, and then, when we think we’re done traveling until fall break, I realize school starts in a week or two, and book a long weekend somewhere. I try to exceed our best vacations.

Last-minute planned ones are often the best.

To a beach, to the mountains, to visit family. Sometimes, we travel in time.

Of course, the pandemic this year has made traveling either difficult or impossible, although we did manage to spend a glorious week in the mountains for Tucker’s birthday. We also spent a couple of days at the Sand Dunes. 

It was amazing how just being somewhere else brought perspective to being ourselves. 

I suppose that’s what traveling is.

While exploring new or favorite places, we’re the best versions of ourselves. Relaxed and with fewer stresses surrounding emails and conference calls, we find a way to be still. To be young, and adventurous. 

I miss that. 

I don’t really miss the DC area (miss my friends though, so much), and certainly don’t miss the humidity, heat, and insect population, but I do miss how easy it was to get to a beach. A few hours in the car, and boom. Beach. 

Of course, there are amazing places to drive to here, too, and while I don’t feel good about getting on an airplane right now, I’ve kinda settled into my anxieties about staying someplace that isn’t home. Armed with disinfectant wipes, masks, and food just in case there’s no place to eat that isn’t outdoors, I think I’m at the point in the summer when I realize school’s starting soon and that it’s time for a new adventure. 

We thought about Lake Powel, which I’m dying to go to, but Robert reminded me about all of the college kids who also are getting in their last hurrah before school… and well, the online college kids sans masks huddled together photos are enough to nix that. 

There are a couple of dark sky areas just a couple hours from where we live, and I’ve been thinking of booking a night or two before school starts. Just typing that gives me further resolve, and I think I’ll do it. 

Speaking of traveling, our next-to-the-front-door bird babies are probably teenagers now. They look pissed off and ready to fight the shitshow of 2020.

Soon, I expect they’ll travel south for the winter, unaware of pandemics and disinfectant wipes. I’m a little jealous, although I do have many questions.

Like whether bird children maintain relationships with their parents. This bird adventure has been a welcome distraction from 2020. Like, when four babies went to three, I Googled whether bird parents were strong enough to carry a fallen baby back to the nest. Results of that search were inconclusive, so if you’re a bird expert, and know, fill me in.

Why am I talking about birds?

I don’t know. Maybe I’m jealous of them for traveling where they feel like they need to, when they need to. For being home when home makes sense, rather then when home is mostly mandated.

***

OH! You’re probably dying to know whether we chose hybrid or online for Tucker’s school this fall. The whole impossible school choices and don’t be like Erica and all that.

We chose hybrid, thinking that it’ll be easier to pull him out if need be than to put him back in with limited resources, but the whole agony thing over the decision? Well, the school district resolved that for us. He’s 100% online until at least mid-September. I’m a little sad, and a lot relieved. Or maybe, a lot sad, and a little relieved. I don’t know. Both, probably.

***

Also OMG to the families that traveling is impossible for. I’m heartbroken for this county too.

***

Thanks, Finish the Sentence Friday, for the prompt of “When it comes to travel…” I was going to write last night but ended up getting super sad about the lack of travel options these days, wondering about the Disneyland and Universal credits we have, and feeling hopeless over ever being able to rebook that trip. But just typing somehow gives hope and a reminder that this will eventually pass or not, and that either way, we’ll find ways to find peace and stillness in new places.