We took a one-year hiatus from our winter Hawaii trip due to the pandemic and avoided air travel for almost exactly two years. After we were all vaccinated, we booked a trip for the following January, confident that the worst was behind us.
That prediction didn't come to pass and COVID transmission was at an all-time high as we prepared for our vacation. We waited with bated breath as twenty of the twenty-two kids in Owen's class tested positive. Just when we thought we were in the clear, Owen ended up falling ill. He was devastated and spent the subsequent eight hours alternating between sobbing in his room and demanding that he won't miss our family vacation.
After lots of stress and thinking through one thousand different scenarios, Ty and I decided that since everyone else was negative (within 24 hours of flying) as many of us should go as possible. Wes, Hazel, Steve, Paula, and I departed as scheduled while Ty and Owen hung back for a few days. Per the CDC guidelines, Owen was okay to be in public with a mask five days after the start of symptoms, so we wanted to get him to that point. We knew the likelihood of the rest of the family falling ill was high but felt we could safely isolate once we were in Ko Olina. Steve and Paula had been positive just a week before, so they weren't worried about transmission. We'd previously stayed in this exact condo and therefore knew there is no common space to pass through in order to access it. We committed to not using the pool or eating at restaurants; only being at the condo or on the beach a safe distance away from others. We felt confident we could enjoy our vacation without putting anyone at risk, once we were there. It was the travel portion that felt tricky.
The way this all went down felt incredibly defeating but I also recognize that COVID disrupting our vacation is nothing more than a minor inconvenience when the virus has had much larger consequences for so many.
Ty ended up staying negative so he and Owen were able to join us just a few days late. By the time Owen arrived, he had come to terms with the circumstances and was set to enjoy the vacation. I feared he'd have such a chip on his shoulder that it would put a damper on the week, but he rallied. Hazel had a runny nose and Wes a dry cough but neither Ty nor I developed any symptoms.
Once everyone was together, we enjoyed a lovely week. We went for walks, basked in the sun, made cocktails, swam in the ocean, watched the sunset, found sea turtles, and a monk seal. Hazel wore her first bikini and the boys tried out their snorkeling gear. I was happy with the way my Hawaiian photos turned for the first time.
I know I say it every year but it bears repeating; these people mean everything to me and I'm incredibly grateful for this special time together.
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