Summer vacation plans are officially cancelled. It was the right decision but one I kept delaying. The plan was to fly out west, visit with a friend and then road trip home.

Even if COVID conditions don’t worsen, they certainly aren’t going to improve enough to make for a fun, safe trip across six states.

The hope is to try again to see my friend this fall and to plan the road trip some other time.

This year has been a series of disappointments and tough decisions for everyone I know. But COVID knows no age, nationality or gender. Perfectly healthy people are dying and, while I want my freedom back, this was not the trip for me.

I’m still taking a portion of that planned vacation time and hope to do something that is closer to home. We’ll see what conditions are like in a few weeks.

I’m learning to fly by the seat of my pants, an act that I’ve never enjoyed but am trying to embrace. And really, when I look back over the last two years, some of the best experiences have been spontaneous so there’s something to be said for putting down the itinerary and just enjoying the ride.

The above photo was taken at sunrise in Arches National Park a couple of years ago. Plans may be cancelled but the sun will rise again and there will be more adventures on the horizon.