2024 That was something.

All the feels as 2024 came to an end.   What will your 2025 bring? 

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Transcript

Paula: 0:00

Welcome to the vacation inspiration podcast. I'm Paula, your host and owner of Black Dog Luxury Travel, where we design custom vacations for the discerning traveler. If your vacation plans are in need of some serious inspiration, you're in the right place and I am so glad you're here. Well then 20, 24, that was quite the year. Wasn't it. Um, I know a lot of people, lot of people like pick a word for the year. Um, and I've done that sometimes in the past. I did not pick a word for 20, 24, but I think in hindsight, if I was going to pick one, I would say. Unexpected. Uh, to be honest with you, it was a. I know for me personally, it was definitely educational that I would say it wasn't really necessarily a year of thriving. Uh, per se, might've been a bit more on the survival side of things. Um, but that happens sometimes there were a lot of really amazing, great things. I think that happened in 2024. Um, and also definitely some challenges for sure. I know. At black dog luxury travel. Uh, the business, we had a very busy year, which was fantastic. I love that so many people. I want it to go out and see the world and create a just awesome memories with the people that they love. Like, I love that we did some really super cool. Uh, trips for people we did. Um, We did anniversary trips. We did honeymoons and there was a destination wedding in there. Um, Just all sorts of things, African safaris and, um, Just, it was great. So definitely love that. It also came with some challenges, a lot of things do, right. Um, but that's that's okay. Um, I know. As the year. Wraps up and comes to an end and you know, kind of everybody's in this. You know, phase of, of looking back and then also looking forward and. And I get in that, in that phase as well. And I know this season. Um, For myself was definitely a little bit harder. Um, The end of December brings, uh, the anniversary of my husband's passing. Um, and it had been five years. Since he has passed, which seems just. Bizarre to be honest with you, like, you know, you know, um, this is, this has been going on for five years now. Like this is, this is what it is. I can accept that. Um, but two, when you stop and you think about all of the life that has transpired. In the last five years. And, you know, and that includes COVID that includes coming back from COVID. It just there's been weddings. There's been, uh, divorces. There have been friendships made there have been, uh, friendships where it's just seasons came to an end that happens to. Um, But you just sort of look back and you're like, wow. Like there was a lot of life. That was lived. In the last five years. Um, that he, you know, wasn't here. To take part in and to experience. And that was really, really tough for me this year. Um, but it also. You know, It comes back to, to why I do what I do, why I like to plan these. These trips for people and some of them are extremely complicated. Um, we'll have a lot of different moving parts and different pieces. And. I love to be a part of that experience for somebody else. I love that people are going to make those experiences, because I know for myself, when I look back, um, and some of my favorite things. With my late husband, you know, some of our favorite memories were obviously the day-to-day things, but also to the times when we did travel and the experiences that we had together, I just think that, um, You know, it was something that you always carry with you and always impacts. You know your life and we always get into this kind of trap sometimes of thinking. You know, oh, we have time. We have time. Um, but life is. You know, it's unpredictable. That's one of the things that never changes about life is that it's unpredictable. We never know. You know, if there's going to be a health change, a family change, um, all those types of things. So sometimes, you know, if we don't take the time to. To plan a trip or to plan, you know, even just as something special with the people that we love. I think we're really kind of robbing ourselves. And I, I know for myself as I look into 2025 and I look at. Um, I really don't do like resolutions, but I like to do different goals for the, for the year. Um, and whether that's personal professional, all those types of things. Um, I know for me, it's, it's just always a little bit, not a little bit, but it's always important. For me. To have, um, the time and space and experiences with the people that I care about. And. And, you know, it can be kind of a balancing act right. To, to really. Get all that stuff in there really. Isn't like a perfect time to take a trip. I know a lot of people. Um, sometimes I talked to them and they're like, oh, you know, we're putting this off until, until retirement, or we're putting this off until our 40th anniversary or putting this off until such and such. Um, and the reality is, is sometimes we don't know. If that event is actually going to come, like, I hope it does. I really hope it does. Um, but sometimes. You know, Should we actually wait, or should we start putting some plans in motion? Uh, to make some of the things, things happen. So. I that's kind of one of the things I just really want to kind of carry into 2025. Um, but I would definitely say, you know, let's dream big. Um, let's, let's look at what it is we actually want to do. Let's take tailor lessons from 2024 with us, and let's have an amazing 20, 25, wherever that brings us. I haven't picked a year. Art picked a word, excuse me. For 2025. Um, I don't know, I might, this year, it might not. We'll see. There's still time. But I hope everyone has a very happy new year and very blessed 2025.