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“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” ― Jim Bishop
If you live in the midwestern or northern United States, entering the season of fall comes with a melancholy feeling. For some, it’s a sense of gratitude for another warm day, knowing those days will be limited as we turn the calendar’s pages. Others take each day at a time, simply breathing in the scents of cinnamon, pumpkin and crisp fall air.
If you are looking ahead on your calendar, you might think ahead to the holidays. Planning for the holidays is an entirely separate blog entry, so let’s move past December 25 and January 1. What do the rest of January and February look like? For some, the first few months of chilly, often sunless weather brings on winter blues. For some, it is simply is a temporary sadness, vitamin D deficiency or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Whatever the diagnosis, planning a trip might be a good addition to a treatment plan. Planning a trip before the holidays come (and sometimes overwhelm) provides immediate and future benefits. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a trip best handled by a travel agent, planning for a trip now can save you money, give you time to save money and provide several other benefits:
- It gives you something to look forward to and makes the post-holiday time much less of a let-down. Maybe Santa will bring you new luggage for your trip!
- Going to a new place gives you new perspective, new people to meet and new stories to tell.
- Pick a place with a specific event and go there. Maybe there’s an amazing art exhibit or festival in South America that has been calling you — get your passport and get ready to add some stamps.
If you are bringing someone, plan the trip together. I have a counselor friend who says an annual girls’ trip is essential. Researching and planning with friends will help build the excitement. You might need to go shopping!
By Melissa Hardin Baysinger
