“My favorite destination is the next one.” No other phrase perfectly encapsulates my travel philosophy. I’m notorious for sharing vacation ideas with my husband while we are vacationing elsewhere. At my worst I shared these ideas on our way to a destination. He politely asked me to focus on the moment. Now I refrain until the return leg of the trip, and sometimes even have the willpower to wait until a week later.

I’ve learned that destination can be all sorts of things. For some it’s the destination of home: the prodigal son, the accomplishment of a remodeling project, or the feeling of being in a familiar spot even if it’s as simple as the dining room table. For others destination can be a family accomplishment, like potty training or learning to ride a bike. It could also mean a point in history, whether it’s a point in the past or marking our current spot in history.

That’s where we are now.

Most will acknowledge we’re currently a blip in history. Our destination is this moment. For some it’s being quarantine with the illness, for others it may be the front lines of a hospital, and still others are simply isolating themselves from society. Our destination is not a predicted one, but like a misdirected flight to Philadelphia on a trip decades ago, we’re here and we just need to be patient and wait for the next flight to leave. We’re all ready for that next destination. It will eventually happen and our moment in history will simply be a blip on the timeline. We’ll forget the anxiety, the commotion, the empty shelves, the panic when people get too close, the nervousness of walking into the grocery, the dread of feeling a slight fever or cough. We’ll hopefully remember the time for long walks, the sleeping in, the game nights, the movie nights, the puzzles, the lack of schedule. The destination may be about family. Or perhaps we’ll remember the projects accomplished, the bathroom that was finally painted, the pantry that was finally reorganized, the stacks of papers that were finally sorted. The destination may be about home.

I hope to bring some light into life, some thoughts and joy and comfort to the world. And no matter what the destination may be, I hope you continue to look forward to the next one.