Touching grass—or rather, dust

My week at home [Kansas]

Two weeks ago, while we out were hiking the Long Path between Phoenicia and Palenville, my mom texted to say my dad was in the hospital. He was ok, but they needed to do some tests and keep him for a couple days for observation before letting him go home. I checked my phone for texts and updates on every climb, and reluctantly switched it to airplane mo…