There was a moment in April, as Robin and I watched our very grown up kids talking to each other on our couch, that we realized we might never get months of uninterrupted family time again. And while we won’t go so far as to be thankful for the circumstances that forced us to stay home for so much of 2020, we spent much of the year reminding ourselves to be grateful for the silver linings when we could find them.
Like everyone else, the things that we’ve taken for granted in years past - recreational travel, time with friends and distant family, concerts, restaurant meals and vineyard tastings, theater in San Francisco, and so many other privileges of normal life - vanished in March with Covid-19’s arrival. Rick returned mid-semester as UCCS went to fully remote - and finished his semester from his bedroom. As California issued a shelter in place order, Robb and Becca’s high school moved online as California tried to slow Covid’s growth; Robb graduated in our backyard while we watched a live video on YouTube. We were so sad for all the missed senior year experiences but proud of how well he, and his siblings, handled the unexpected.
Rick returned to Colorado in June, where he moved into a house with four of his closest friends. He spent the summer working for Vote From Home 2020 (a vote by mail effort). A Psychology major, he also began his internship (continuing through this school year) at a veterans service center where he gets a chance to observe counseling sessions and help the office make the transition to a digital case management system. He’s learning a ton, and is excited about pursuing graduate school, and a career as a therapist.
Robb committed to the University of Oregon, where he started classes in September. A Political Science major, he was able to be in the dorms this fall, even with all classes remote. He returned home for Thanksgiving, and Oregon will administer final exams online to minimize travel for students. While it was a very different freshman year experience, he was thrilled to get time on his own with (new and old) friends in Oregon, and frequently took advantage of a very bikeable city to explore Eugene between classes. We are all crossing our fingers for the planned hybrid class schedule (i.e., some time in the classroom each week) starting in mid-January.
Becca wrapped up her freshman year at Cal High online, and is taking classes remote (from home) for her sophomore year. She turned 15 in October, and got her braces off just in time for Thanksgiving dinner! One absolute highlight of our shelter-in-place time together has been Becca’s commitment to expanding her cooking skills - she now cooks at least one meal a week for the family, and routinely can be found experimenting with new recipes (and kitchen tools!).
As mentioned, 2020 was definitely not a regular year for travel. We’re sad about the trips we didn’t take, but are thrilled to once again be RV owners. Nicknamed JB (for The Good Place’s unit of time Jeremy Bearimy), the RV helped us get Rick back to Colorado and moved into the house this summer. After we left him, the four of us took the long route home and spent some time outdoors in Santa Fe and Moab (and affirmed our love of off-road four wheeling). We took the RV out for a number of day trips with Bob and Elaine, long weekend trips with Becca, and to Oregon to both drop Robb off and pick him up this fall.
Speaking of dropping Robb off at school: days before we left, we got a call from NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue - the same organization we rescued Cody through 12 years ago. They had a 2 year-old Golden who needed a new home - and a couple days later, Finn showed up at our house, and we’re forever grateful. A snuggler, he is a very good boy who we could not be happier to welcome to the family. Life with two Goldens is delightful - even if the two year old’s arrival prompted Cody to relocate more or less permanently to Bob & Elaine’s house.
As for us, Robin and I are grateful for the surplus of family time throughout the year. Robin is as busy as ever with the California State PTA Board of Managers and her board role at Ed100. After more than 13 years at Google, I left in November and am thoroughly enjoying the search for what comes next (and working on my new jeep which my kids claim is one big Lego).
We miss spending time with our friends and family, and are cautiously optimistic that by the time we write next year’s letter, life will start to return to normal. Keep in touch - text / email / zoom / phone - we’d love to hear from you. Until then, stay safe and healthy!
Love,
Rick, Robin, Rick (20), Robb (18), Becca (15), Cody (13), and Finn (2)