This last week we disappeared with a very small group knowing where we were going and remained quiet online during our trip. Wednesday I drove 12 hours to Maryland for DelFest, the second-largest bluegrass festival in the United States. We had no plan for Wednesday night since the fairgrounds we were camping at didn’t open until Thursday morning, so we did research on the way for cheap campsites. Our only requirement was a bathroom. That landed us at Big Run State Park for a night. Once pulling in we realized we were in a cellular dead zone. We dragged out the tent, set up, slept, and tore down in the morning.
Since early Wednesday morning, we have had no power, no running water near us— though access to potable water within a walk— little-to-no cellular connection, and no climate control. We made our way home yesterday.
Let me start by saying that this was a great opportunity to disconnect from tech, the Internet, social media, the news cycle, and more while also connecting with others including my family. We got to stay in the family camping area at DelFest, and the kids were quick to make friends. We tended to be the ones coming the furthest— 600+ miles from St. Louis— and enjoyed a lot of new friendships that hopefully we can continue next year.
My family needed this dis/reconnect. A reboot if you may. Life has been a bit brutal this last year. In fact last year we disappeared— without saying a thing to but a few— to Branson for a week. That weekend was filled with frequent anxiety attacks and little rest. This weekend was filled with music, crafts, rafting, and a lot of recovery.
And we needed to recover. The next few weeks are going to be a bit rough for us, but we are together and stronger for it.
To all the Deltopians that had no clue who we were and what we were going through, thank you for taking us in and letting us have a great week with you. Thank you for hanging out with our kids, providing them way too many snacks, teaching my daughter about the wonders of capitalism, encouraging my son to get out of his comfort zone, and more. Y’all made DelFest feel like a home away from our very far-away home.