Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
 

I wish all of you a wonderful, most blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with, Lord willing, all the traveling your hearts desire. You are all very special to me, for you have made me feel like I've been right there with you on your travels.

I have been blessed to do the little traveling, compared to so many of you, yet more than most people who may just dream about it, or who cannot afford it. I thank God for my travels and for allowing me to see the beautiful European cities my husband and I have visited. I love the quaintness and beauty of the little "old towns" and the majesty of the Alps.

Again, blessings to all of you.

Happy Holidays & a Healthy New Year to you and yours, Princess. I offer the same wishes to all the other Fodor forum members and also thank them for their great help over the years.

Happy & Safe Traveling in 2007!

I think traveling abroad provides two things in particular; a better understanding of the world we live in and of it's people and making memories to enjoy for life. One can acheive that with even limited travel.

Joyeux Noel to you.

Larry J

A very wise and wealthy elderly widow who was a client of mine was talking one day about all her "stuff". Her kids didn't want the antiques they had collected, nor the dishes or silver, nor all the collectibles. She mentioned that all the money they had spent on those things over the years now seemed wasted. But the best money they spent was on travel, as those trips were still a part of her and something no one could ever take away. As she said, she and her husband had been to countless parties and social functions over the years but she can't specifically recall much about any of them. Yet she can recall standing on the Eiffel Tower on her honeymoon as if it were yesterday, or cruising down the Yangtze River with her husband, or taking her grandchildren one at a time to Europe while they were in high school, and on and on.

Patrick, I feel exactly as your friend does. I enjoy what I have but I am so glad my late husband and I didn't "shop till we dropped" as so many of our friends have. The trips my husband and I had together are the most precious thing I could "own". And I am so glad that we took our daughter with us, unless she was at summer camp or visiting with family members, until she was all grown up. Priceless!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you Princess along with wishes that 2007 will be a year that you two will have another wonderful trip.

Thanks Princess. Seasons greetings to you and all other Fodorites.

"May the road rise with you"

NeoPatrick, you said it beautifully.

My mother passed away unexpectedly this April. Over the years she had collected some items that were precious to our family and other things that we had to give away, but realatively little in comparison to most people we know. What I am glad that she did do was save money to travel with our family when we were young and with my dad quite often in their later years. The memories we have of wonderful adventures with her are so important and help us to cope with her loss.

I hope everyone on this board is able to enjoy wherever life takes them this next year. Happy holidays!