Hey there! This is not my usual post, which usually specializes in the exciting places I travel to aboard Dafne. However, keeping in the norm of posting once every never, I decided to update you guys on Summer 2021 for the Dafne crew!! Last summer, we didn’t take our usual trip back to the US because of COVID-19. So, this summer, we had so many trips planned, it seemed like the summer would never end! As I’m writing this, I realize that this trip was so packed full of stuff, that I have to split it up into two parts, the endpoint of this post in early July.
The first part of our trip started in late May, when we packed up all our suitcases, locked Dafne up, and hopped on a plane. Well, actually, a couple of planes. Our destination was Chicago, as that was where Stella had been for the past year. We arrived jetlagged, and, after dropping our bags at our friends’ house, we went to a health center to get our first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. It was quite an eye-opener to have literally just landed in the US from a place that will not see vaccines in quite a while, to actually getting our first dose.
We spent a week in Chicago, catching up with Stella and some family friends there. However, this summer was going to be busy, and we already had a trip planned for the five of us. Our next stop on the summer’s adventure was a 5-day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon! For 5 days, we followed our guide down into the breathtaking canyon and back out again. The views were spectacular and the wildlife was next-level! It was also super hot! I really think that that trip was one of the best I have ever experienced…yet!
After our days in the Grand Canyon, we hopped on another plane in early June and flew to New York. Why you may ask? Well, Stella had a summer job lined up in New York, so we went to drop her off and then stayed a night at a friend’s apartment. Then, we drove up to Philly. Yay, Philly!! My birthplace and home to my mom’s side of the family. We stayed with my grandparents for about a week, visiting family friends, and such. I also went to a day camp during this time, where I learned to sew. Not one of my finer moments, I have to tell you! 😉
This is where the timeline starts to get confusing because Dafne’s crew starts to split off on different trips. I will do my best to make it less confusing. Remember how I told you that Stella was in New York? Well, she was, but she also took a train up to Connecticut for my grandfather’s 80th birthday in late June. Stella’s 19th birthday was only a few days after his, so we celebrated both with her. Then Stella went back to New York, while the rest of us all stayed in Connecticut.
Now it gets even more complicated. See, Cleo had a 4-week camp lined up in Barcelona. She had to be there in the first few days of July, so she left Connecticut with my parents around July 1st. I stayed behind in Connecticut with my grandparents and we took a trip to Washington, DC for a few days. My grandparents had to attend the funeral of a friend, so they took me along for an educational trip to our nation’s capital. I had been to DC before with my grandparents, but that was years ago, and it was exciting to visit the monuments for a second time!
There is more to my summer coming soon, however, I am still in the drafting process. Please stay tuned for the second pt. Or don’t. You tooootally won’t hurt my feelings. Enjoy your summer and peace out!!