March 2021 | Page 61

( FACING PAGE ) RYAN : Claire , weeks from her fourth birthday , struggles with the so-called new normal that COVID has brought . Meanwhile , Alice calls a Barbie summit . ( THIS PAGE ) MEGAN : By the fall , we ’ re feeling the strain of being stuck in the house together . Alice announces we need a field trip and I ’ m missing my family in Oregon . I think , why not take a cross-country trip ? We can do it safely in an RV . Once we get there , I ’ ll work remotely and my mother and sister can help with distance learning . After some convincing , Ryan gives in . It is not easy to find an inexpensive RV during a pandemic . After much searching , we buy a 1979 Dodge Avco . Ryan is handy with cars , so he promises that this twenty-nine-foot beast can make it across the country . Plus , he ’ s confident he can fix it if it breaks down . We stock up on food , get COVID tests for everyone and hit the road . RYAN : First day on the road , Claire wakes up to a welcome change of scenery . Over the course of ten days she will sleep at orchards , wineries and campgrounds in a dozen states .

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