Haha, I think we are all visiting around the same time, yep! I leave on the 5th for the whole month of October. Let's focus on being with our loved ones and not some silly pile of paperwork in California/Vermont for awhile!
You are so lucky you can take a month off! I'd do anything for that kind of time. Sadly, we only get a week next month, then a week in January. Hopefully by then we have an end in sight.