We’re in the air somewhere over maybe St. Pierre and Miquelon. It’s 10:15pm back in New York, and through the miracle of modern melatonin Taavi has given up the fight for infinite awakeness. Finias is asleep, too. After a sweet summer in Nyack, we’re on our way back to Germany — this time, as a trip we’ve been expecting and planning. It’s already going better than expected or planned, especially when I finish writing this and nod off a bit myself.

Yesterday we took a break from packing everything up to go the pond. For a magical moment we were standing in a circle in the water all holding each other. After that, Taavi floated around, swam some more, got involved in playing with some other kids, came out not too long after being told we’re getting ready to leave, and washed the sand off his own feet. On the one hand, just kid stuff; on the other, just enormous symbols of how much good this summer did him (and all of us). Other gains:

  • More, better informed points of view about what’s been happening for us and for our kids
  • Welcoming my parents to their new home across the river and seeing them a couple times a week
  • Everyone getting to meet Finias
  • Everyone getting reacquainted with Taavi
  • Taavi getting reacquainted with more people who love him
  • Sleepovers with his cousins down the road
  • A wide variety of other positive experiences: two different summer camps, playing with friends, lots of time in the pool, walks and runs around town, a couple trips to Central Park, all sorts of playgrounds, etc.
  • A night out for just the grownups (probably 3 or 4 years since we last did that)
  • A few months in our own space with just ourselves

A few things we’re bringing with us:

  • Renewed appreciation for our choice of house and neighborhood in which to raise our children
  • Heightened awareness of what we can do to shape our environment while we’re away from that house and that neighborhood
  • Somewhat clearer risk calculations about COVID-19 and how it should and should not constrain us

We’re reasonably worried about our second long stint in Germany, but reasonably hopeful that it will be more constructive and more fun than the first.

What’s this?

It’s a /now page.

nownownow.com is a directory of people with /now pages. I’m listed there.