Before COVID-19, we were planning three big trips this year: our Spring Break cruise, a three-week summer trip to England, and a winter Europe trip to visit breweries and Christmas markets. We just officially decided to cancel the second.

Our England trip was supposed to be a week in London followed by a two-week house swap in northern England. In February, the house swap folks decided they weren’t coming to the U.S. this summer, but they kindly offered to still let us use their house. We declined to put them out of their house but still considered going to England, either just for the week, or then adding on a couple weeks somewhere else. In the end, that’s just impractical. For one, I’m not sure international travel will even be allowed then. For another, that’s a long time on a plane with other human beings who might be unknowingly infected, and probably too long to practically ask my kids to wear a mask. For a third, London is an expensive city to visit, and I wouldn’t want to go without getting the whole experience. I want to eat in pubs and take a crowded boat on the Seine and shop in markets and ride the Underground. It can all wait.

This has been a rough week, and making the decision to cancel didn’t help. But it’s the right thing to do, of course. Fingers crossed for Christmas Markets. But I’m not holding my breath.

Also, I’ve been checking every few days for our refund from Norwegian, and nothing. I’m sure they’re going to squeeze every last minute out of holding onto our money.