Finding Joy and Hope in 2025 - I'm trying to be less doomsday

I'm really actively working at getting back into the mindset of finding joy. I let myself slip into absolute despair, and now it's a process to get back out of it.

I used to be really good at framing things in my mind positively and sharing all the things that brought joy into our world… and then I lost track of that and how much of a positive impact it had on me and I went down the dark rabbit hole of despair. It’s like fitness and being in great shape and then stopping working out, and then it’s difficult to get back into it. Well, I’m actually working on that too! Today I’m sharing what I am currently doing to shift my point of view, cuz otherwise nothin’ good is gonna come from me.

Also in today’s newsletter, I have some real talk about what’s going on with the wildfires in SoCal, I’ve got some great travel articles to share and some small life updates. I hope your January is starting off nicely and that maybe a little of what I’m sharing today can inspire you in some way, whether it’s for planning travel or just how you’re looking at life these days.

Before I forget, here’s what’s new on the blogs:

• Historic Forts in Florida/Georgia to Visit - thinking about people planning educational trip for 8th graders or spring break

• Maine Lighthouse Series - Portland Head Lighthouse, Spring Point Ledge Light, Rockland Breakwater Light

• Hawaii Travel Planning - Royal Kona Resort, Olowalu Snorkeling on Maui, Honolua Bay and Maui’s Magical Enchanted Forest

• Florida Keys Ideas - Lighthouses in the Keys, Key West Eco Tours Java Cat, Kayaking at Geiger Key, Bakers Cay Resort, Hawks Cay Resort, Holiday Inn Key Largo, Sunset Watersport Dolphin/Snorkling Combo, Key West Botanical Gardens

Being on the Other Side of the Disaster

While Southern California is battling one of the most horrific disasters I’ve seen, we still have life continuing here. It always feels weird to share what’s going on in our world when there are bigger things happening that are shaking our friends and strangers to the absolute core. As you see me sharing travel and happy life things here or on social media, know that we have to keep on doing our thing and help in the ways we can, but our lives do not halt. It’s a fine line of giving space for others to communicate about the disaster and also remembering that we all are living different realities, and for us right now it’s a completely different moment in time.

IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THOSE IMPACTED BY THE FIRES… my friend Karilyn who lives in the heart of what’s been happening has a HIGHLIGHT with all lots of resources, GoFundMe and more info. Her Instagram is @NoBackHome.

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I never want to be or sound callous when there’s something huge happening, but now I get it. In the past when there’s been a hurricane pummeling our state and people in other places are sharing pics of them and their friends heading out on a trip or going out to cocktails, I see it and I’m like, “well, a least somebody’s having a good time” as we’re moving sandbags or waiting for the storm to pass. For a lot of us there’s a complete disconnect to what’s happening even if we’re seeing footage and images. I see the fires and photos from friends and I’m stunned, but also we have a planned trip to Colorado this week. What do I share?

In the past when I’ve shared anything that’s fun in our lives when big things were happening elsewhere, I’ve gotten messages from people telling me how inappropriate or insensitive it is to share. I’ve been criticized for not sharing messages of support or opinion in moments of war or health disasters. It’s weird to be told that we have to have loud, eloquent, all-fact-based, compassionate messaging and opinions on all things at all times. That is simply not the reality of life. I fight the battles I can and provide the information I can. Heck, I’ve shared disaster resources before and been told that I’m sharing the wrong stuff and why I should’ve known better. And with that, I’ll do the financial support that I can and make myself available to friends whom may need me.

Having said all that, I hope the fires can be fully put out soon and that our friends can put together some semblance of a life again. I know one person who’s neighborhood was destroyed and then lots of others who have had to evacuate but are okay. Nobody enjoys going through disasters of any scale, and hopefully recovery for LA can be smooth and peaceful.

in Los Angeles in May with my pal, Keryn, when the sky was blue and it felt like nothing could go wrong in this beautiful city.

How I’m Managing Myself These Days

I said above how I’ve really let myself slip into the despair that comes with watching peoples’ rights and way of life be challenged, to see our country go for a convicted felon who’s proven that he is literally bad for America. That’s all very upsetting and depressing. While we wait for things to unfold (and I’m still holding out hope for a miracle) it’ s hard to not let my mind wander into the darkness that could happen. So, here’s how I’m proceeding.

I’m faking it to make it. Yep, I fully embrace that I am going to be in a continual state of denial for quite a while. I believe that there are enough good people in positions of power and that enough has been done to safeguard the USA, so until I see that being clearly NOT the case, I’m going to put on a smile and not let the injustices of the world throw me into a non-functioning state of being. I’m trying to focus on what I can control and I am STILL having the uncomfortable conversations and calling people out on their crap. But I’m not letting it all tear me down.

Now that we’ve watched Wicked a million times I really do feel like two of the messages that can’t be missed are these:

• If you make it discouraging enough it’s easy to keep anyone silent.

• The best way to bring folks together, is to give them a really good enemy.

These two things are really clearly happening and we cannot let them overcome us. We have to keep speaking up, both verbally in real interactions, and in action by voting, petitioning, and making noise when something isn’t right.

And then let’s turn that last one back on the people who are villainizing and demonizing minorities, immigrants, women and LGBTQ people. While all that campaigning was focused on making these groups seem like a problem to unite against, anyone with half a brain can see that the real villains are the ones stirring that up. We need to stay strong together, finding our core people that are like minded and encouraging, that are safe spaces. That’s how we can make it through.

Anyways, with all that, we’ll make it through somehow and until then, we can fake it ‘til we make it and stay vigilant for good.

Upcoming Travel

We head to Winter Park, Colorado this week! We’ve been looking forward to this adventure for months. We aren’t big snow people so doing a trip to Winter Park is a big thing for us. They invited us this fall and we chatted about it with the kids who agreed that this was a worthwhile, and even exciting, project for us to do. While we’re there we’ll be doing ski lessons (cuz we don’t ski), going inner-tubing (my favorite), experiencing sub-zero temperatures (my beach brain can’t comprehend this) and having a beautiful time in the snow. Be sure to follow along over on Instagram, and then when we get home I’ll write all about it.

It’s going to be a fast turn around, but right when we get back from Colorado next week, Elliott (youngest) and I are heading right off to New York City. I go to NYC every winter and the last two times I’ve brought a kiddo along. This year Elliott is coming and we’ve got big plans. We’re doing the Statue of Liberty crown, eating at Sardi’s (the restaurant in Muppets Take Manhattan), seeing three shows, going to the Met and more. It’s going to be a blast!

In February I’ve got a work adventure to Hawaii with Kelly. We’ll be staying at a few different hotels, including my favorite Hilo hotel, the SCP Hilo, and we’ll be doing lots of exploring on the Big Island and Maui. I’m really excited about the Maui portion of the trip but I can’t share any details because it’s a surprise for my travel buddy and she reads my newsletters.

In March we will find ourselves in more chilly weather up in Fairbanks (more details to come) and then April brings the Florida Keys! I’m really looking forward to the Keys and a lot of work has been going into our site, TheKeysExplored.com. We’ll be visiting Dry Tortugas National Park and enjoying EVERY beach and state park that we can.

Life Update and a Request

Both kids started basketball this last week. This is our first venture into team sports and they both did great. Elliott loves meeting new people and playing every sport even if he doesn’t know anything about it. Oliver is the opposite. We signed up for community basketball as a way to introduce team sports and see how they felt. I was very nervous about Oliver and he himself was too. BUT HE DID GREAT. He engaged, he put lots of effort into it, and he even was getting the ball passed to him by the end of his first practice. I’m really proud of how well he managed his nerves and it turned out being fun. So thankful.

As we get ready for Oliver to start high school next year, I know there are some big conversations that we need to have with him. I thought it might be a good idea to poll the audience and see what everyone thinks are the big shocks of high school, the big inappropriate things to prep him for, and anything else that will make the process of switching from our tiny, protected little private school into a HUGE high school more smooth. Please leave comments with your ideas and suggestions.

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That’s all for today. I hope everyone has a good week and that we all stay safe and healthy. You won’t hear from me again until February due to our Colorado and New York trips, but I’ll be back to newsletters with fervor next month.

Happy travels!