This article originally appeared in Conde Nast Traveller.
The last time my parents and I were together it was January of 2020. I visited them in Madison, Wisconsin, flying out from New York with my one-year-old son, their first grandchild.
At the time the biggest concern was whether or not I’d be able to effectively schlep a carry-on, diaper bag, stroller, and car seat through security by myself. A year later, carting gear through the airport feels like a more frivolous travel concern. My parents are in their mid-60s and both of them have had health issues that likely put them at higher risk of a bad COVID-19 outcome. And so it has been exclusively FaceTime and Zoom ever since.