A Leaf Turns Orange in the West —

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

In the chilly Midwestern November of 2020, I watched the ground zip past and fall away as the plane lifted off and pointed its nose toward Europe, my mask between my nose and the window.

As the clouds flowed into place, I looked over my shoulder, seeing people packed in shoulder-to-shoulder after months of living 6 feet apart, and more. My baby, just 3 months old, was in my arms, his hands clasping at my…