There are many days where I think to myself how we need a year to pass and at this time next year things will be better. I’ve said it over and over, thinking the more I say it, the more I may believe it. As our lives continue to be riddled with uncertainty and stress about where Covid may take us, I am trying to keep my thoughts in perspective because rushing to a year away really isn’t the answer.

The answer is making the best of the situation. It’s taking the rotten lemons that 2020 has given us and adding a ton of sugar to make the lemonade taste as best as possible. It’s deciding what we are comfortable with and trying to keep ourselves as sane as we can.

As we enter into my favorite time of the year when Christmas music is on non-stop and our home is filled with the warmth of twinkle lights and decorations, I realize that we have SO MUCH to be grateful for that it’s not worth throwing it all away. While the holidays may look different this year, they are still times we can reflect with our family, even if it winds up being virtually.

Right now we have the crisp autumn air that makes it a perfect time to cozy up by the fire, we have lazy Sunday football days, we have pumpkin everything, and nights for hot cocoa to look forward to. We have Elf on the Shelf to move daily (even waking up at 2am to do so), writing cards to people we love, and wrapping gifts.

If we rush to next year all of this goes away. We will miss birthdays, milestone celebrations, and new babies. We will miss the smiles, the laughs, movie nights, conversations with friends, and having family meals together.

We will miss the things that matter.

So I’m going to stop wishing time away. I am going to focus on the now; living life for what it is, no matter how complicated it may seem. In the future I hope we can look back on this time in our lives and wonder how we were so resilient, feel proud that we made it through…and know that we lived for the present.

Watching the travel industry crumble this year was nothing short of devastating, especially because travel is a way to build family bonds and lifelong memories. Vacations are a great way to try something new, visit a favorite place, or just get out of the usual routine. At our agency we are grateful for a job that allows us to bring families together and create unique experiences. We are thankful for our clients, and hopeful for brighter days ahead.

Wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving from our ET Family to yours.

by Ellen Volpe – Co-Owner of ET Family Travel