For all the ways COVID has done a number on everyone, we've been quite fortunate. So far we've stayed away from the virus, and we've been able to flex our lives more easily than most. Indeed, if there's anything worse than a pandemic, it's how it's made clear how stark is the difference between those with privilege to adjust and those without.
Case in point are our holiday plans, which typically involve flying to California to see my dad and sister as well as old friends. Being able to pull off such a trip, let alone annually, is something available to an exceedingly small proportion of the population, which we don't take for granted. Although this year we really couldn't take it for granted, for we realized quite some time ago it wasn't going to be an option.
We decided to do a shorter and closer trip, to Hershey, and to not finalize plans until weeks or even days before, since we had no idea what COVID would mean in terms of travel restrictions. Given that we plan our trips months if not years in advance, this was a new approach, but one that was made necessary by the ever-shifting landscape.
Sure enough, earlier this month the governor shut down almost all indoor gatherings, which closed or made unattractive more than half of the things we planned to do in Hershey. Hence, a California trip that is usually 7-8 days and that had flexed to a 4-day, 3-night road trip to Hershey, was now shrunk down to an overnighter.
We still had fun. We left the house in the early afternoon, got to the hotel, and made a beeline for the pool, which had a two-story water slide. Asher, who usually hates the hotel pool and is terrified of going underwater, gained courage that afternoon, riding the slide countless times and even dunking his head on his own over and over. We showered and headed back out for Sweet Lights, a drive-through Christmas light show, and then doubled back to the hotel to grab dinner from the Sheetz next door.
The next morning, Asher and I returned to the hotel pool and he was even more comfortable dipping his head under water and even attempting to kick and stroke. As he told me more than once, "I faced my fears and I said, 'I'm not afraid of you anymore.'" Funny how swimming is exactly like this for everyone, where you go from being afraid to being comfortable. Anyway, we checked out of the hotel and hit the outlet malls, where everyone was able to get something, and then had time to hit the gift shop before going into Hersheypark. Asher was pooped and many of the roller coasters were closed, so we didn't stay long, but it was fun to putter around anyway. We made good time back to Philly, and were home in time for dinner and bedtime at a normal hour.
All in all, we have souvenirs and photos to show for a good trip. Still, we wished we could've been in California. Or even that we could've been in Hershey longer. COVID meant no Chocolate World, a compressed Hersheypark experience, and no hotel breakfast. It also meant we skipped Hershey Gardens and Zoo America, which were both open but all the indoor stuff was closed so we figured it wasn't worth it. We'll look forward to a day soon, hopefully, when we can go on vacation without restrictions, which we now realize more fully is truly a luxury.
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