We spent A LOT of time together, the three of us, as Dan wasn't traveling and I was furloughed starting June 1. Thankfully, my 12 week furlough was reduced to 6 and I returned to work July 13. It is good to be back.
Dan and I were grateful for the bonus time with Erin, and Willow Lane was a safe place to be during the early, unsettling days of the pandemic. Erin made the most of being stuck back in Rochester, taking a bunch of credits spring and summer quarters, and working part time at the golf course for some spending money.
While summer classes are continuing online, Erin was ready to return to Philadelphia. Her apartment had been paid through August, and she had per diem work opportunities that weren't happening in Rochester. Drexel is attempting a hybrid teaching model in the fall... but as mentioned before, this will most likely require patience and adjustment depending on how COVID-19 plays out.
But, "home" for Erin now is Philly, and whether classes are on line or in person, she was ready to go. So, we packed up the RAV-4 and she and I headed across the midwest. (Grateful that my bosses were understanding of my previously made plans and let me take PTO for our road trip.)
This little taste of travel reminds me that I love to see new places and we enjoyed checking out gritty, industrial Pittsburgh and driving through the beauty of the Allegheny Plateau and Cumberland Valley of western and central Pennsylvania.
So now Erin is back in her adopted city. She has her car, her apartment, her friends. She'll be a junior in college come September. The world is her oyster. The pandemic may have slowed her down, but it won't stop her. Go get 'em, sweetie.
