As I pull out the “good” luggage from my closet, a spider tags along as I destroy its shelter of cobwebs.

Four years since I last touched the cherry red suitcase. Excitement mixed with a dash of anxiety builds as I pack the swim goggles, flip-flops, and sunscreen.

My family of four needs this time away. A pandemic brought us closer in ways I never wish to experience again. Isolation together. Uncertainty settling into a “new normal.”

Now it is time for us to create fresh memories after a year and a half of living in survivor mode.