With some regularity, conversation over weekend breakfasts often turned to travel. Because we live far from many of our friends and family, we often spend weekend mornings looking for cheap flights, planning road trips, or trying to secure lodging so that we could visit friends or be together with loved ones for the holidays. I often searched for the “36 Hours in…” columns in The New York Times, adding new destinations to our travel wish list and trying to figure out when and how we could get to these places.

I know that the ability to travel is a privilege, and I try to always remain aware of that fact. There are numerous circumstances (beyond COVID-19) that limit mobility and circumstances beyond geography that keep loved ones apart.

Still, I must admit that I miss these trips, but I miss the conversations even more. I miss planning, anticipating, and daydreaming.