It may not have been the summer holidays in Europe that we'd planned, but we pulled off about as much of a summer holiday as is possible for a pair of American residents in 2020. I cannot express how overdue the vacation truly was. This year has undoubtedly taught me that reducing life to a constant rhythm of work, commute, and self-isolation is more than enough to test one's nerves. With a full week out of the office, we managed to link up with cousins to make our way down to Sequoia National Park, up to Muir Woods, and even briefly through Santa Cruz and Monterey. We got closer to some bears (a mama and her cub) than we'd ever planned (or hoped!), saw some big-ass trees, and got some mask-free time to breathe, alone in nature, in good company.
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Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks with the West Coast cousins: Ryan, Jake, and Sarah
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| A day in Muir Woods and San Francisco - Land's End, where we accidentally bumped into a dear old friend's wedding elopement photo shoot! - and Fisherman's Wharf, where we introduced Ryan to Buena Vista's Irish coffees, introduced Nicolas to the American delicacy that is frozen chocolate bananas (he approved!), and said hello to the sea lions at Pier 41. |
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We visited Oakland's newest murals while touring Ryan around our newest adopted home town.
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It was a change of pace, a change of scenery, and a week during which I did zero work. That's about as much as you can ask from 2020.
