Breaking Free from 2020

Get me out. Right this minute. I need to escape. Slip on my boots, buckle up, and hit the road — anywhere, everywhere, just away. I crave endless horizons, the soothing sound of waves, the crackle of campfires, and the tantalizing flavors of vacation: freshly caught, quick-fried, and smoky with a hint of coconut.

After enduring months of isolation from a world ravaged by a pandemic — facing boredom, loss, illness, job cuts, police brutality, and a backlash against calls for racial justice — the desire to escape became a shared longing, even if it was out of reach. Travel has always been a privilege, but this summer, the experience of simply 'being elsewhere' felt particularly unattainable. Those who could break free did so by any means necessary. We hit the open road, set up tents, reserved cabins, and filled kiddie pools in our yards to immerse ourselves in a different reality.

Here, six writers share their personal journeys to seek out (and savor) a semblance of summer vacation during a year that tested everything — our creativity, our finances, our culinary skills, our very existence.

Their culinary adventures stand in stark contrast to the outdated ideal of Great American Travel we've been taught to glorify, but hopefully they offer a glimpse of the summer escape we all yearn for.

The Exhausting Art of Staycationing

by Carmen Maria Machado

The Reflective Journey of Cabin Cooking

by Clio Chang

Submerging My Worries in an Airbnb Pool

by Alanna Bennett

Mastering the Art of Peeing on a Family Road Trip

by Jenny G. Zhang

Camping While Asian: A True Tale

by Wei Tchou

Adventuring With Kids and Other Wonders

by Vanessa Bowen

Editorial Lead: Lesley SuterArt Director: Brittany Holloway-BrownContributors: Wei Tchou, Jenny G. Zhang, Alanna Bennett, Carmen Maria Machado, Vanessa Bowen, Clio ChangEditors: Erin DeJesus, Monica Burton, Rebecca Flint MarxCopy Editors: Rachel P. Kreiter, Emma AlpernEngagement Team: Adam Moussa, Milly McGuinnessProject Manager: Ellie KrupnickSpecial Thanks to: Nicholas Mancall-Bitel, Matt Buchanan, and Amanda Kludt