We were living in a different world when we booked our travel for New Hampshire. It was pre-COVID-19, the great Before. Not so long ago in the grand scheme of things but a sea change away from what life looks like now. It felt like the trip was so far ahead of us for so long, and now in the blink of an eye it’s fading in the rearview.

I realize that our family — 9 of us in total — flying across the country in the midst of a pandemic isn’t a choice many others would have made. It was made clear to me by more than one reader that our decision and subsequent trip photos were viewed as not just foolhardy but hurtful, and I absolutely understand and empathize with that point of view.

I just wanted to acknowledge that. I know everyone is living a different experience right now. Location, personal health and family health, tolerance for risk — there are so many factors that influence our choices and outlook these days, and the choices we make obviously don’t just affect us, they have the potential to negatively affect other people.

There was a night about halfway through our trip when I found myself wide awake in the wee hours and imagining a scenario where someone started showing symptoms and how would I feel about things then? All the good times we were having, would they have been worth it if someone got really sick … or died?

Well. Everyone remains healthy for now, so I don’t need to dwell on that question. The truth is aside from that one internal freakout I mostly let go of the pre-trip anxiety I had been wrestling with and just enjoyed myself.

It wasn’t hard to do: New Hampshire is ridiculously lovely, and while we got to see some of the state and the Maine coast as well (and walked part of the Freedom Trail in Boston one morning), we spent most of our time on Little Squam lake, playing in the water and visiting.

This was a whole side of the family tree I’d never met before, and I really can’t say enough good things about how warm and hospitable everyone was. John’s uncle and his family went above and beyond to show us a good time, and we’re all still talking about how fun it was and how we can’t wait to go back.

I truly enjoyed getting to know everyone, but my very favorite memories have to do with little moments with the kids: hanging out with Riley much more than usual and relishing his goofy teen self, riding on the back of a Jet Ski with Dylan driving like an absolute pro, sitting around our rental house and laughing together, watching the two of them experience the Atlantic for the first time.

I know we took on risk (and inflicted risk on others), but I believe we did the best we could: we wore masks in all the situations that required them, we were mostly outside, we left one relatively low-infection-rate area for another. In the end, I have no regrets — it was an unforgettable time, truly the kind of memory-making trip you hope for as a parent.

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