Weathering the Storm with the WP#101

With the holiday season over and even the seasonal blues disorder, perhaps dissipating and even with the loss of items at the storage unit back in Minnesota, which I have yet to witness, but getting the picture, I continue to move forward with pans for the future. January is a month for me, normally, a lull in the craziness to collect my thoughts and get ready for the new year. However, this year is already rocking, and the time will keep moving. I went through the emotions of the losses, even though I have not physically been there. I have seen the pictures, and when I get there eventually, be it next month or when I return in the spring, I will probably have them again, but for now, I am focused on more important things, than things. I even did something crazy last night and binged the first three Rocky movies and, for the record, Rosa, in a small way, looks like Adrian, and she is my Adrian and where my future will be.

In less than a few weeks, the Wandering Puffin returns to the Land of Fire and Ice and back to Europe proper in the month of March and part if not all of April, so much to look forward to and yes, I will be with Rosa during March and April, among other events and a few Hard Rocks to start that crazy experience again. Travel, as you all know is in my blood and I believe it will never change, business and personal, and as last year fared, the balance between business and personal has continued, and will for the foreseeable future. My future is across the pond and working towards that. This past week, even with the winter blues, business has once again exploded, and the good feelings of 2022 have reached into 2023 and I am very excited about that.

After getting out from under the season and the blues, I am so appreciative of what I have and what is most important to me, my relationship with Rosa and my business, where I am always excited to make people’s travel adventures come true and see the happiness on their faces that I could put together wonderful experiences and then, come back time and time again, of refer people to me. How it is possible that I started in this industry, officially in 1997 and my business in 2007, and to be here today with everything that has gone on in my very crazy life. I am such a lucky person to have what I have. I earn a living doing what I do, but the money does not drive me. I so appreciate that I found a passion over 25 years ago and, really, never had any 7-year itches during my time in this industry. If anything, I wanted to keep going more and more, but I also knew that when it was time to go from being an employee to spreading my wings, over 16 years ago, it was the right thing and the right time and weathering all the crazy things that have happened, and still here and stronger than ever.

I have always considered myself an underdog and a black sheep, and so I am always surprised when I am able to rise to the occasion in this industry called travel. Maybe this blog was inspired and helped by binging those Rocky movies, but I know, even those they came out in the 70’s and 80’s, I was feeling it. When you are down and out, or simply not feeling yourself, or the world is hitting you too hard, you must fight back and push forward. We all have a reason for being here and need to find the right motivation to get back on track. Also, knowing that there are those out there to support you, and I don’t mean financially, but emotionally, and physically.

I could not be in Minnesota, to address the flood, but there were people there to help me and I remember when Covid first came about and the business crashed, I tried to be there for my colleagues and being to commiserate about what was happening. I was trying to help those then, but really, it was helping me as well, as I love to feel the feeling of being needed, whether in a time of crisis or not and the worst moments can bring out the best in people. I know I gained as much, if not more from being there for people in their time of need. I get more out of knowing that I have been a good person, done a good deed and try to bring happiness to people and being both an educator and in the travel industry, has brought me that happiness over the past 35 years. I look forward to continuing this journey called life and being in Europe on a permanent basis later this year to bring happiness to my clientele who travel there and beyond and to tutor the English language. Stay tuned as I go through the trials and tribulations of 2023, and I know it will be another crazy ride. It already is!!
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Let’s make 2023 an amazing new year. Stay safe, stay healthy and as always, thank you for your support of my crazy little world and of my small business. It is truly appreciated, and as always, I am interested in your thoughts, comments, questions and adding to the discourse is always appreciated be in on the site itself or on Facebook or wherever you read this!!!