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  • What’s on 30A TV ?   Is your TV Spying on You ?

    What’s on 30A TV ?   Is your TV Spying on You ?

    Happy New Year from 30A TV !

    First off, we love Smart Tv’s and plug in streamers like Roku or Amazon. Connected TV allows for an expanded choice, and ability to “Ala Carte” channels or networks so you can watch what you want without paying for a bundled stack of channels you may never watch.

    As TVs become more affordable, they also become more popular.

    However, what if your TV was tracking you? Some consumers are concerned about the potential for these TVs to track their viewing habits. Smart TVs, –  TVs that have internet connectivity and built-in apps, are able to track what a viewer watches, for how long, and even when they pause or rewind. This information is often sent back to the manufacturer or third parties and used for targeted advertising. One of the reasons for the lower price TV’s is due to the manufacturer selling your data.

    Spying Tv

    It’s important to note that tracking viewing habits are not exclusive to cheap TVs and can also be found in more expensive models. There are things you can do to block or slow down the data sharing.

    In devices such as ROKU Firestick, check in settings for permissions settings that can be deactivated.

    A VPN (virtual private network) can also encrypt internet connections and make it more difficult for others to track online activity. By being aware of these tracking possibilities and taking steps to prevent them, viewers can enjoy their TVs without worrying about their privacy being compromised.

    Now that we have sorted out your privacy, check out a new channel we just launched on 30ATV – It’s called Nautistyles, hosted by Victoria and Rico, they board luxury yachts, in exotic locations, to bring you amazing walkthroughs on beautiful vessels. You can see the channel at www.nautistylestv.com

    About 30A Media

    30A TV broadcasts 15 live channels of original programming, including 30A, Outdoors, Real Estate, Celebrity Interviews, music videos, and comedy. Available via itunes, Android, ROKU – Amazon Fire Stick, Smart TV’s and at www.30a.tv

    30A TV

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  • In 2023, the Sandestin Resort Celebrates 50 Years!

    In 2023, the Sandestin Resort Celebrates 50 Years!

    In 2023 the Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort in Miramar Beach will celebrate its 50th anniversary. For decades, the resort has drawn visitors to its beautiful white sand beaches, made from quartz carried from the Appalachian Mountains 20,000 years ago. After 50 years, it’s no surprise that the largest resort situated in Florida’s Gulf Coast, spanning over 2,400 acres, and the only one to lay claim to waterfront access to both beach and bay, remains the ultimate destination for generations of coastal adventurers, families, couples, reunions, winter vacationers, and getaways.

    In celebration of their 50th anniversary, there are so many milestones to highlight during its five-decade history. The Sandestin as we know it today wasn’t always destined to be a world-class residential golf and beach resort. In the 1950s it almost became the home for “Disney World” as Walt Disney almost bought the land. Later on, In the 1970s, the land eventually  fell into the hands of developers keen on building a resort community and finally in 2010 it was acquired by the Becnel family. The newest luxury offering at the Resort, which started construction in 2019, is Osprey Pointe.

    Sandestin is a special and unique place, deeply rooted in community and values, steeped in a culture of genuine hospitality. Over the years the landscape has changed a bit and their story continues to evolve, but one thing remains the same  —  Sandestin has solidified its place as one of the premier resorts in the Southeast, welcoming thousands of families each year to experience the resort and make cherished memories.

    In 2021 the resort welcomed Hotel Effie, a luxury hotel with a rooftop pool, full-service spa and a 3-meal restaurant by James Beard winner, Hugh Acheson. In the near future, The Cascade, a new luxury development will open, creating more options for travelers and residents. .

    As for 2023, there are many exciting happenings to celebrate this milestone anniversary, including: 30A Songwriters Festival – Jan. 13-16, Mardi Gras Parade – Feb 19, 36th Annual Sandestin Wine Festival – April 13-16, Blue Marlin Classic – June 22-26, and the Baytowne Beer Festival in Oct. The Cascade, the latest residential development and luxury project, will be opening in 2023.

    For more information, please visit www.sandestin.com.

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  • South Walton Academy Celebrates Six Years Bridging the Gap in Walton County

    South Walton Academy Celebrates Six Years Bridging the Gap in Walton County

    South Walton Academy is a non-profit inclusion school in Santa Rosa Beach – the first of its kind in Walton County. The school serves ALL children ages pre-k through twelfth grade, with accommodations in place for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and related disabilities.

    “As a mother of a child with Autism and as a therapist I struggled to find the services our children needed,” says South Walton AcademyFounder and Executive DirectorCalley Middlebrooks. “I knew I was able to change that not only for my child, but for our community.”

    South Walton Academy 1

    Over the past 15 years, Calley has been working with children experiencing developmental delays as a therapist with Early Steps. She has always had a passion for helping children with communication, which led her to taking on clients with Autism.

    Then in 2013, Calley’s youngest child was diagnosed with Autism at age three. His diagnosis inspired her to learn more about sensory integration and education, and so began her journey to opening South Walton Academy.

    South Walton Academy provides a learning environment that helps every child achieve success while maximizing their individual potential. The school’s 5:1 student-teacher ratio provides the cornerstone from which all children grow.

    Certified teachers work to help each child advance at their own pace while providing individualized curriculum for all learning styles and abilities.Accommodations are in place for children with Autism and related disabilities, including but not limited to ADHD, Asperger’s, and communication delays.

    South Walton Academy 2

    “Our neurotypical and advanced developing students get just as much out of school as our children with special needs,” says Calley. “They are able to learn while helping teach their peers and in turn are able to retain more information while learning skills that will have a life-long impact.”

    In addition to the school program, SWA offers a Summer Program with daily, weekly, and monthly rates, Play Groups for children ages 0-5, Therapy Services, and they accept and partner with Homeschool Programs. South Walton Academy accepts the Gardiner Scholarship, McKay Scholarship, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, and will soon be taking VPK vouchers.

    “We started with very little funds but with a lot of heart and dedication from our founder and supporters we are growing. “Generous donations and a GoFundMe campaign helped us open the doors in January 2017. We started with just 5 students and have grown to now serving over 20 students and additional therapy clients.”

    South Walton Academy 3

    South Walton Academy is a private, 501c3 nonprofit inclusion school centrally located at 585 Mack Bayou Road in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. If you are interested in enrolling your child or learning more about South Walton Academy, please visit www.southwaltonacademy.com, call 850-213-4595 or email southwaltonacademy@gmail.com.

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  • Make a Difference with Guardian ad Litem

    Make a Difference with Guardian ad Litem

    By Michelle Ruschman

    One of the greatest gifts you can give to a child is the knowledge they have someone on their side. Carita Smith, Volunteer Recruiter, for the Florida Guardian ad Litem, is on a mission to ensure that local children who find themselves displaced from their homes know there is someone they can still count on to advocate for their best interests. In our area, there should be 136 volunteers. There are currently only 43.

    Make a Difference with Guardian ad LitemThe Guardian ad Litem is made up of a three-pronged system that becomes part of a child’s team when a judge rules they need to be sheltered, or removed from the home. One part of Guardian ad Litem is the Case Advocacy Manager, who maintains the level of care from the office and supports the volunteers to ensure they can advocate effectively. These managers are on staff along with the child’s Best Interest Attorney to make sure the team is running smoothly. At the center of the trio, is the Volunteer Child Advocate. It is this volunteer who visits the children to make sure their needs are being met. If they find the children are in need they report back to the Case Advocacy Manager and the attorney to see if services can be put in place. They are the thread that connects the child to the judge and all other agencies that work with the court. Their sole mission is to take care of the child. It is this Volunteer Child Advocate position that Carita is working hard to fill and it is mission-critical.

    “We work alongside any agency that’s in contact with that child,” Carita said.” If the child is in foster care, we visit with them at least once a month, but our volunteers usually go more often. We talk to the child, make sure they’re getting what they need, and ask how they feel. We want to make sure their innermost person is taken care of.

    “We also talk with the foster parent to get a sense of how the child is behaving and what their day looks like,” she continued. “If the child has interactions with their parents, we want to know how they responded to the visitation so we can keep an eye out for any triggers. If they’re visiting with a parent twice a week for 30 minutes to an hour, how’s that child’s behavior when they come back? There are a lot of variables that go into a visit like how the visits are maintained and observing how the child feels after these visits. What we observe then becomes information that we provide to the court.”

    Due to the shortage of volunteers, Case Managers often have to fill the additional role of the Child Advocate Volunteer, which is far from ideal. Carita shares the steps to becoming a CAV.

    “There’s a three-phase training process,” she said. “The first phase is talking with me, submitting your application, and having your fingerprints taken at no cost to the volunteer. You must also pass a level two background screening because of the confidentiality that is required and the places you’re going to. You’re part of the court system and officially taking care of the needs of a child on the state level. Have a clean background.

    “Phase two is the classroom portion which is 30 hours, so you do get a lot of training before you get started. Volunteers can choose to do it all online or in two parts by doing the majority online and then coming to a one-day class from 9a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

    “Phase three is the most important because it’s when you go out and do the work,” Carita said. “This is when you’re visiting with a child, going to court, seeing how the parents react, and seeing how the judges behave. Just going into court can be scary but when you just observe and start building an understanding of what people are doing, then it becomes easier. You understand that you’re just putting down on paper what you observed and passing it on to someone else. You understand your role in the process of helping these children.”

    So who would make the ideal volunteer?

    “Someone who loves children,” Carita said. “You have to want to see children get beyond traumatic situations. Children remember what’s happened to them so you have to be patient. Be confident in your abilities so you can ask critical questions.”

    Carita stresses that once someone becomes a volunteer, they have plenty of support from the case manager and attorney on their team. In addition to their immediate team, there are also mentors who have been in the position for multiple years, and events are put together so volunteers can be together and make a connection.

    As for community support, Carita asks that you contact her to speak about Guardian ad Litem to your churches, small groups, networking groups, businesses, classrooms, etc. She will talk to any group that can help grow the volunteer base.

    If you’re interested in talking to Carita about being a Child Advocate Volunteer or would like to book a speaking engagement, call (850) 461-3877 or email carita.smith@gal.fl.gov.

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  • For (More Than Just) the Love of Ballet

    For (More Than Just) the Love of Ballet

    By Rachel Prescott, studio6twenty5

    For (More Than Just) the Love of BalletIt’s early on a Saturday morning. A group of tiny dancers make their way to the ballet studio in a single file line, up on their tippy toes, with their hands on their hips. For the next 30 minutes, these independent two- and three-year-olds will explore new ways of moving using their own magical thinking, which in turn lends to a tangible creative expression. Throughout the year, imagination and creative play teaches them concepts such as right from left, standing in a line, counting music, coordination, spatial awareness and a whole universe more.

    Ballet is about so much more than just ballet.

    In a world of apps, telecommunication and virtual reality, this mind/body all-encompassing performing art form is more beneficial now than ever for our younger generations. From the first day of class in a classical ballet school, training begins to instill poise, self-confidence, awareness (of oneself and others), physical health and self-discipline. As tiny dancers grow into teenage dancers, these assets and values are a large part of who they are as people, and therefore spill over into every other area of life.

    My longtime ballet teacher, the late Miss Dorothy Lister, used to announce to our class of angsty 14- and 15-year olds, “Ballet dancers make straight A’s!” As I looked around the room, I realized she was right. We were all very good students, enrolled in honors, AP, IB programs, some of us at the NWF Collegiate High School. (We may not all have had straight A’s, but close.)

    The drive for excellence, self-discipline and the ability to creatively express oneself will carry a person through a lifetime, in any profession or life path. After all, children with these values become adults with these values. The poise and determination of a once eight-year-old dancer serve her well as a lawyer fighting for justice in the courtroom, just as self-confidence and stage presence can only benefit a career in PR/marketing, and explorative self-expression help guide a photography career. There are no bounds for how far these life lessons will reach.

    Classical Ballet is an opportunity to help instill a foundation in young children that will follow into their adulthood. A dance education is less about being a professional dancer, and much more about developing into a whole human being, with tools and gifts to share with the world.

    Studio6twenty5 has many exciting things coming up this year!
    • Huge schedule expansion! Now offering Pre-Primary & Primary classes Monday through Saturday
    • The Nutcracker 2022 presented by studio6twenty5 — Friday, December 9th at Destin Community Center
    • Look for the studio6twenty5 float in this year’s Destin Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 10th
    • Weekly Adult/Open ballet classes
    • Weekly barre+ classes

    studio6twenty5 is proud to include the American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum, a breakthrough 9 level program that combines high-quality artistic training with the basics of dancer health and child development. The ABT® National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels. Pre-Primary through Level 3 is taught by ABT® Certified Teacher, Rachel Prescott, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

    Pre-Primary Ballet and Primary Ballet creative dance classes are part of the classical curriculum for the youngest dancers, instilling foundational elements of movement through creative experience, expression and play. Both boys and girls are highly encouraged. Classes occur once a week on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.

    Visit the website for additional level and adult classes, or to register online: studio6twenty5.com. Please email any questions to rachel@studio6twenty5.com. studio6twenty5, 625 Harbor Blvd. (upstairs).

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  • Is it Time to Purchase for the New Year?

    Is it Time to Purchase for the New Year?

    Why this holiday season may be an ideal time to buy that preowned vehicle you’ve been dreaming about

    By Will Estell

    Whether you consider yourself a well versed auto aficionado, or someone who simply desires a dependable and presentable automobile to get around in, it’s certainly no secret that both the new and preowned automobile market have been immensely inflated over the past two years. Some of this overvaluation has been due to issues related to the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage, while some – particularly in the used car segment – has been driven by a need for auto dealers with too little inventory to make similar profits while selling fewer cars. This isn’t dissimilar to the perils of many other types of businesses in the past three years. However, this is changing, thankfully.

    Auto Img 3693From 2020 to 2022 we quite literally saw used car prices skyrocket more than ever in automobile history, with the average consumer price of a new vehicle in our country increasing by 6.3 percent from the beginning of 2021 to the beginning of 2022 alone. This, in turn, caused the retail price that most consumers were paying for used vehicles to escalate by 7.2 percent during that same one-year period, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s latest consumer price index.

    All of this means many of us – from dealers to end consumers – have been paying prices that were above previous book value over the past two years. Remember, in simple terms, if the dealer had to buy it high, the dealer had to sell it high – and the truth is, for a while, cars, trucks and SUVs were all trading for well over what their book values could substantiate. There’s no reason to feel bad about being one of those people if you did this yourself. However, I hope you like your car a lot, because unless you paid for it or decide to toss a wad of money with it in a future trade, you’re likely to be stuck with it until it’s paid off, something that will most likely haunt the automobile industry by negatively impacting new car sales a few years down the road.

    Jump ahead to the third quarter of 2022, and a lot has changed in the auto industry, and much of that is to your favor, thus, making it a better time to buy than over the past two years. Think of this: only a short year ago people were buying an already depreciating asset, for up to 40 percent above its value, then lenders were actually financing those purchases, based on those inflated numbers. I personally think that’s a recipe for disaster that we won’t see the impact of for two to three years, when people attempting to trade in those vehicles find that they still owe 25 percent to 50 percent more than any dealer or private party would be willing to pay for it. But that’s a discussion for an entirely different article, and one not quite as upbeat and positive as gifting yourself or your loved one with a new car this holiday season.

    In the short term, those inflated sales prices of the past two years, combined with supply and demand issues, began to push the actual book values up, too – not to the amount the cars were being sold for, but some. This was because many valuation analysis tools such as NADA and KBB (National Auto Dealers Association, and Kelley Blue Book) are at least partially built upon the averages of current sales transactions, as reported by consumer reporting agencies and automobile dealers around the country. However, it is now a fact that prices have been coming down at the major auctions for close to six months as of this writing, and though it takes a while for the dealer pricing to catch up to the auction and wholesale trends (in terms of what they paid for their current inventory) we are now seeing the results of substantially lower prices (which also affect real book values that are also trending downward from what they were for the same vehicles six months or a year ago) at the retail level.

    Over the last four months of 2022, we’ve seen wholesale pricing of almost all pre-owned cars drop considerably around the country. This means that consumers should see those 10-15 percent reductions passed on, with retail pricing already showing signs of tremendously trending downward in major metropolitan markets where more people want more cars, along with more dealerships needing to sell cars, often keeps the prices most competitive. This is exactly why this holiday season may be a much better time to negotiate that ‘best price deal’ than any time in the past two years would have been.

    As of this October used vehicle prices were down 10.3 percent from a year ago, according to The Manheim Used Vehicle Index. The wholesale price of used luxury brands is getting hit the hardest and is down 13.5 percent from this same time last year. This is exactly why buying a three- to five-year old Audi, BMW or Mercedes – even at a good price – is often less expensive than even buying a preowned Toyota, Honda or Genesis of the same year, class size and mileage. Preowned SUV prices are down 12.3 percent for the same period, and pickup trucks have now dropped in price by almost 9 percent over the past 12 months.

    All of this represents what I see as a definite bright light at the end of the proverbial car buying tunnel, if you’re in the market to buy this holiday season or going into the new year. Having the knowledge of these industry pricing trends can positively affect your ability to close your best deal possible on your next automobile purchase. Remember, car buying isn’t like buying clothing, furniture or the food you eat. Almost everything is somewhat negotiable in the world of used automobiles. Whether you’re buying a F250 King Ranch, a 911 GT3, or a 4Runner, do your homework. Know the real value of the vehicle you’re considering buying. Check the prices for the same vehicle in other markets. And if you have a vehicle to trade, know what the NADA and KBB average dealer trade in is, and ask for that price for your trade. The only thing better than putting that perfect vehicle under your tree, is knowing you also gifted yourself with a smart buy while doing it.

    Will Estell is a writer, editor, producer and entrepreneur with more than 500 published features and numerous online articles in an array of genres. Over the past 25 years, Will has been instrumental in founding 12 new magazine titles, as well as serving as editor in chief for numerous others. Originally from the backwoods of rural Mississippi, Will is a father of three who splits his time between Destin and Navarre, along with his wife, ABC 3 news anchor Laura Hussey Estell.

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  • Republican Women Host Florida’s CFO Jan 11th

    Republican Women Host Florida’s CFO Jan 11th

    Screenshot 20230102 122116 ChromeWalton Republican Women Federated is excited to welcome Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, to their January 11 luncheon in Miramar Beach.

    Florida’s CFO handles the state’s financial accounts and oversees the office of insurance regulation. The office audits spending at state agencies and deals with public assistance fraud, workers’ compensation, and unclaimed property. As the State Fire Marshal, the CFO also coordinates arson investigations.

    Mr. Patronis has been applauded for increasing Florida’s fiscal transparency, reforming benefits for firefighters diagnosed with cancer, and improving mental health benefits for Florida’s first responders.

    Jimmy Patronis sits on Governor DeSantis’ cabinet along with Attorney General Ashley Moody, and was supportive of Governor DeSantis’ efforts to reopen the state amid the COVID pandemic and fought to stop lawsuits against businesses that reopened during the pandemic. The cabinet also deals with issues like state land development and permitting.

    Jimmy Patronis served as a member of the Florida Elections Commission before serving for eight years as a Florida Representative. He also served on Florida’s Public Service Commission, which oversees utility companies and utility rates, before being elected as CFO in 2018.

    Jimmy Patronis has recently released a proposed bill, Creating Penalties for Political Discrimination by IRS Agents, personally stating. “If you’re trying to shakedown Florida businesses, non-profits, or families, then the State of Florida will also have tools to go after you, too.”

    The National Federation of Republican Women was originally an auxiliary of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Today, the NFRW is financially and organizationally independent, with thousands of active members in local clubs across the nation.

    The goal of Walton Republican Women Federated is to: educate, inspire, and encourage participation in the political process by volunteering our time and resources to elect Republican candidates and promote Republican ideals of: peace through strength, prosperity through individual responsibility; and liberty through limited government.

    For reservations, membership, and more information, go to: WaltonRepublicanWomenFederated.org.

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  • Enjoying This Holiday Season

    Enjoying This Holiday Season

    Enjoying This Holiday SeasonBy Kay Leaman, Health Architect

    We all know that the word ‘healthy’ gets rescheduled to Jan. 1 during this season. We’re not ready to relinquish our favorite recipes for a healthier option. My recommendation in the arena of food and sweets during this season: Be present and aware of how much you eat and savor every bite.

    Now, let’s take a different look at having a healthy holiday season. Health does not only consist of physical sustenance. It also includes our emotional state, and the holiday season tends to run our feelings and emotions through the obstacle course.

    In my research for this article I discovered that I have been living with sadness and the physical effects are surfacing. Joy, anxiety, stress, sadness, loneliness, happiness, frustration, apprehension, etc., can all be experienced during the holidays. Whatever you experience during this special season of hope and giving, being mindful of our emotional state can improve our health and our holiday season.

    Sadness can involve feelings of despair, loss, anger, sorrow or defeat. It can make us outspoken and highly sensitive to any situation. The negative effects on overall health can include constipation, diarrhea, chest pain, dry mouth, back pain, fatigue, headache, HBP or heart palpitations. It can also affect our appetite, sex drive, and lead to anxiety.

    Enjoying This Holiday SeasonJOY on the other hand promotes a healthier lifestyle, boosts the immune system, fights stress and pain and supports longevity. Joy releases serotonin and dopamine in the brain (two types of neurotransmitters and heavily associated with happiness), helps us to solve problems, think more clearly and aids in fighting disease.

    Laughing can bring on joy. It decreases pain, improves the heart and lungs and helps muscles relax. So, when your feelings and emotions begin to go a bit wacky, stop and take time to write down what you are grateful for. And if it’s the “other person” who’s experiencing these emotions, take time to remember why you love and care about them.

    A few things I am grateful for: the sunshine on my face, a comfy bed, ocean waves and the privilege I have for being able to share with all of you each month information that can help you live a healthier and grateful life.

    Have a fabulous Christmas and New Year. Our community is better because you’re here. To Happiness and Health

    ~ Kay Leaman, Health Architect, succeed.hdhl@gmail.com

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  • Remember our Seniors During the Holidays

    Remember our Seniors During the Holidays

    Caring for Those that Cared for Us

    The holidays are here and once again, we are most thankful to live, work and play along the Emerald Coast. It is also time to remember to spend time with those that have cared for us. The holidays can be a depressing time for a lot of people, especially seniors. It tends to serve as a reminder about who is not there to celebrate anymore and how they cannot often go to where everyone else is gathering. Long-Term Care/Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living facilities often have seniors without any extended family in the area. Little to no visitors, birthdays and holidays often leaves an empty feeling for our aging population. While caregivers do their best to make every occasion special, having a visitor, friend and/or family member visit makes all the difference in the world to each individual. It is human nature to feel loved, appreciated and cared for.

    Senior Placement CummingOne reason why the holidays are so important to seniors, is they give them time to reflect on their lives. Looking through photo albums is a great way to reminisce about the past. Taking time to look at photos and ask questions creates an opportunity for one to “tell a story.” Becoming a “senior” is an achievement in life. We need to remind them how blessed they are and how much richer our lives are for spending time with them.

    Perhaps it is time to start a new tradition this holiday season and carry it through 2023. All facilities have a volunteer program. Have you considered including in your holiday plans to adopt a “grandmother or grandfather” in a facility? Maybe your church or civic group would be interested in volunteering and spending time with seniors. Spare a little time to help bring joy to others during this joyous time of the year.

    Perhaps this holiday season is your year to “make a difference” the lives of others. Happy Holidays!

    ~Teresa Halverson
    Director of Business Development
    & Community Relations
    The Manor at Blue Water Bay

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  • The Mysterious Lure of Travel

    The Mysterious Lure of Travel

    travel with jodell haverfieldBy JoDell Haverfield, Have Travel Memories

    One hundred years ago in January, a young writer from England embarked on a 10-month luxury voyage around the world with her husband. She was 31 years old. Her first novel had been published just two years earlier. On her trip she would surf in Hawaii, cruise the Zambezi River, and ride the train through Australia’s Dandenong Ranges. These experiences would find their way into her later works.

    Throughout her novels, foreign destinations became more than just a backdrop – they almost became the characters in her books. She traveled many times on the thrilling train that inspired one of her most famous novels, “Murder on the Orient Express.”

    By now you know I am referring to the author Agatha Christie. Whether it was a suite at Brown’s Hotel, a luxury ship or train, her travels were a huge influence on her writing. She was very courageous in her youth as she traveled alone to Syria and Iraq, where she met her second husband and later assisted him in his archaeological digs. “Death on the Nile” was published four years after they cruised the Nile River. Many claim their 1958 trip to Barbados was the setting and inspiration for Agatha’s novel “A Caribbean Mystery.”

    By the time Agatha Christie reached the height of her fame, she was an older woman, but it all started with the adventures of her youth. When she first went to Baghdad, she was on her own. She got on a train in London and stopped off in Istanbul. Later, with her first husband and then her second husband, she would travel the whole world. While for most of us our travels won’t make us famous, but they will make us happier.

    There is something in our psychological well being about the travel experience. Growing evidence shows that travel is good for body and mind and taking a vacation is more than just a fun diversion from the grind of daily life. Psychologists call it the Easterlin paradox. Travel literally rewires the brain; it reduces depression and just the anticipation of a vacation makes you happier. Perhaps this explains why after the pandemic and mandates, travel is one of the busiest and highest grossing industries. Millennials value experiences over stuff, and science says they might be onto something.

    The Mysterious Lure of TravelCruising the Holiday High Seas
    A few years ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to host several couples on a Crystal Cruise during the Christmas season. I wasn’t really thrilled about cruising during the busy holidays, even though Crystal is a luxury cruise line and a favorite of many of my clients. “What, Me? Not excited about going on a cruise!?” I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true. We had never sailed at Christmas, and I expected to be eager to get home to my long list of things to do. However, we soon discovered that even with our cruise experience, we seriously underestimated a Crystal Christmas. Soon we became what is known as “Crystalized!” Their 6-Star personalized service and sophisticated atmosphere have long been a favorite of cruise enthusiasts. Crystal Cruises is the world’s most awarded cruise line. Spending time on a Christmas ship transports guests to a winter wonderland and truly magical world. Since that Christmas cruise, Dave and I have sailed the Holiday High Seas a few more times, especially with our grandchildren, sharing with them the magic of a Christmas cruise. Every cruise line from family to luxury celebrates Christmas so there’s a holiday cruise for every budget. A few of my clients even wrap up a cruise ship, plane or train as a gift under the tree.

    Very Special Cruises
    Through the years, I have had the pleasure of helping my clients plan trips as gifts and surprise trips for other special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, reunions, retirements, honeymoons and more. I have even helped two clients plan bucket list trips for their terminally ill spouses and one terminally ill client asked me to help him plan his dream trip, to take his family on an Alaska cruise before he passed. I personally witnessed the joy and comfort these trips brought to my clients and their families. The family memories will last forever.

    During the pandemic, the entire world lost the right to travel. Now that all the mandates have been lifted and travel is back to normal, think about planning a trip in 2023 or 2024. Make memories with those you love! This week, our team will head for Israel to see where Christ was born and walk where he walked in preparation for our November 2023 tour to the Holy Land. Those who did the 2022 tour absolutely loved it.

    I wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas!

    ~JoDell, CEO and Luxury Travel Advisor at Have Travel Memories Vacations
    jodell@havetravelmemories.com
    www.havetravelmemories.com

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