It wouldn’t be 2020 without the craziness that was our trip to California. Since our 9-day trip turned into 7 weeks, I took a break from the blog. Now that I’m back, I’m writing again and it feels so good! I’d like to say that our trip to California was all vacation and relaxing but that would be false. Don’t get me wrong, it was plenty enjoyable but it came with a lot of stress and work. What a whirlwind!

Vacation Time

The originally planned 9 days were actually vacation and felt as such. 2 epic birthday parties and a trip to Tahoe were wonderful and much needed. Below are a few pics from our vacation. To see more on our planned 9-day trip check out my post Blog Break.

Family & Friends

Since we decided to stay an additional week (at first) we had more time to spend with immediate family and close friends. Around 4 days in, I thought to myself…why not stay longer? I didn’t have a job to go back to and had pulled Everleigh out of daycare indefinitely for the same reason. Sooooo, we changed our plans to stay for another 2 weeks! During that time we had so much fun.

Covid-19 Exposure

About 3 days before we were supposed to leave, my brother-in-law tested positive for Covid. UGH! 😩 Since we were staying in their house I decided to do the responsible thing and quarantine for 2 weeks. Rebooked AGAIN for 2 more weeks. If you are keeping count we’re now at 6 weeks. Luckily, everyone else in the household and those that came into contact with him remained healthy. Thank the Lord!

Open Heart Surgery

The day before our flight after 6 weeks in California, my dad got test results that would require urgent open-heart surgery. A total of 5 blockages were found. He was essentially operating on 11% heart function. 😱 So I canceled for the 4th time. The surgery took almost 6 hours and ultimately had a good outcome, so far. As of today, he is still in the hospital – 9 days and counting. We decided that when he was out of the woods, so to speak, we would make travel plans. It was heart-wrenching to leave without seeing him in person but we were able to video chat and that set my mind at ease.

Perfect Timing

It’s funny how things work out sometimes. If all of the other things didn’t happen that led up to my dad’s surgery, I wouldn’t have been there or I would have had to go to great lengths to get back there for the surgery. Serendipity? Maybe. What I do know is, God’s timing is perfect timing. 😇

Final Thoughts

Although our “vacation” didn’t go as planned, I am so thankful for the experience and extra time with family. My sister and I have joked that now we KNOW we could live together. 😆 An added bonus was that I was able to help out and that makes my heart so happy.

Stay tuned for the final 2 chapters of my Traveling Abroad series. Follow me for more whimsical heart stories.