Prologue

    While I knew that this trip would be like none of the others that we had taken, I had no idea how that concept would manifest. This is the trip we were supposed to take last year but couldn't because as Jason said then, "the camper is fixed, but the world is broken." Just as we finished putting back together our very broken camper, COVID upended our lives in so many ways. I was suddenly teaching kindergarteners from my living room and deck, while the boys were fighting with online programs designed to help them learn, and Jason had set up a "temporary" office in our bedroom, which meant bringing home his plant and monitors and plopping everything on a camping table. Temporary is in quotations because that office is still in our bedroom. I might add that the plant is thriving. Anyway, due to the volatile situation all over the country, we decided to cancel the trip and stay home. Or rather travel a little closer to home.  

    During those first long weeks, that turned to even longer months, Samus suddenly was unable to walk properly and developed a fairly severe case of drop foot. Indicative of all kinds of terrifying neurological diseases, we were pretty afraid of what might be on the other side of the myriad of tests he was scheduled to take. Thankfully, we found out rather quickly, that he did not in fact have some life altering disease but that he damaged his sciatic nerve during his hours and hours of swinging, which he used to ease his anxiety and fill all the new found time that he had on his hands. Now he had less time on his hands due to the months of physical therapy he was prescribed and switched to biking instead of swinging. Turns out biking is really good for strengthening the foot and leg and healing a sciatic nerve injury. Who knew? 

    Some time shortly after Samus wrapped up physical therapy and we all got used to going to school wearing face masks for eight hours a day, Lucas found himself quite sick. Was it COVID? The test said no. We decided it was probably constipation given that I have never seen anybody drink less than this kid. So for three days, Lucas laid on the couch with a steady diet of Miralax and Gatorade. Still, nothing was taking away his pain. Finally we decided to head to acute care, where we narrowly escaped being turned away because of Lucas' fever. Within minutes, the doctor, after having Lucas straighten his right leg and then pounding on his heel, declared it was appendicitis and we needed to high tail it to the ER. Sure enough, one emergency appendectomy and a couple of hospital days later, Lucas was not constipated. 

    Then along came Christmas. While we had really hoped to head to Aberdeen after missing Easter and Thanksgiving, it was not in the cards. Neither the boys or I could risk being sick and missing school and we didn't want to accidentally get anyone in Aberdeen sick either. Turns out, it didn't matter what our plans were because I had come down with a mystery 16-day illness that resulted in two negative COVID tests and a negative antibody test. Either way, I was sick as a dog and on anti-nausea medication until Christmas Eve. 

    The hits kept coming as in January of 2021 my beloved grandfather, Grandpa Jer, passed away after a long battle with dementia and a short, swift battle with cancer. Then tragedy struck again, before we even had a memorial for my grandfather, as the home my grandparents shared for over 50 years, and sold to my cousin several years ago, burned almost completely to the ground in May. With the help of some very brave men, my only Van Dover cousin, Tyler, was rescued, but succumbed to his terrible injuries just a few weeks later. 

    Please know that I did not write this prologue as a pity party for us, but as the background for what makes this trip, the trip after a year of lock down and loss, such an important and precious trip. In the past year, we have ridden the roller coaster of life, experiencing the joys and sadness of life and death in our family. And truly, there was plenty of joy and we did not lose nearly as much as others during this year. But I write this to remind myself how fortunate we are as I sit with my computer on a Texan beach on the Gulf of Mexico. In a year filled with hard things, the Munschs are still here, still able to travel and still overcoming hard things, to love one another and those around us. Thanks for traveling with us.