The hammer has fallen.
We aren’t going to Key West after Christmas.
Over our regular Friday night dinner with friends, in between talk of politics and whatever we’ve been binge-watching, the discussion came up about what to do with Key West. While we all wanted to go, we came to the conclusion that this would be the year to skip. Between having to fly, Covid rates rising everywhere, and the governor of Florida’s approach to the pandemic, this was a trip we could definitely postpone.
Is it the right thing to do? Yes. Am I devastated? Absolutely. However, skipping Key West this year opens up the possibility of doing something we haven’t in quite some time – visiting James’ parents for Christmas.
Not that this would be the first time. When my in-laws moved back to their house in Colorado in 2011, I told James to be prepared. I was certain when they came for Thanksgiving, his mom would ask about us visiting at Christmas. He hadn’t been home for the holiday in a long while, and they had only been here once or twice. Now they were in driving range.
“Are you boys going to come for Christmas?” was casually dropped into the conversation during a car ride Thanksgiving weekend. I really wish I had wagered something with James. I could have made a killing.
And go we did. Not quite as planned as the Texas panhandle was closed, but we made it to Colorado just the same. Me with a death grip on the steering wheel as we drove over Raton Pass in the snow with semis barreling past like we were sitting still. But James’ mom was nice enough to have some wine opened for when we finally arrived.
Fast forward a few years, and we had some questions about making our way out of Colorado in time to go to Key West. Weather had been beautiful the entire visit, until early on the 26th. Something alarming about waking at 3:00 a.m. and watching snow blanket the acres between their house and the main road. Beautiful. But still alarming. However, I think we appreciated the heat in Key West even more when we arrived there on the 27th.
As for this year, we haven’t reached a final decision on going or toughing it out here. I know James’ parents would enjoy having company for the holiday, but weather is always the question. While we’ve made it through snow coming and going before, with the way 2020 has been, would we be tempting fate?
I would certainly enjoy the change in scenery, weather and 2020 be damned. Plus the prospect of a white Christmas and having some mulled cider to keep me warm. And while we would miss sunning ourselves in Key West, the only thing blue about our year end vacation might end up being my toes from being outside too long in the snow.
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