It was February, and I was sitting on the beach just outside of Hilton Grand Vacations at McAlpin-Ocean Plaza, enjoying the sun with friends and talking about life as we escaped the Michigan weather for a week when it came up in the conversation.
"Hey, did you hear about that Corona thing?"
Little did we know that a few weeks later, we would be in lockdown back home in Michigan, and it would be more than a year until life seemed like it was returning back to something resembling "normal."
This year, after a decade of annual February trips, we've postponed that Miami trip until May. Even though I'm struggling to plan the rest of the year's trips for various reasons, such as low inventory for airlines and rental cars, I'm still making plans — the light at the end of the tunnel, and the future is bright.
Traveling might be different for a while, but I'll never take it for granted again, and I'm changing the way I look at it.
Here are my five pandemic travel affirmations for a future filled with travel.
- I plan far in advance and remain flexible when things change.
- I take as many pictures and videos as possible so I can look back and reminisce.
- I never take for granted the time with family and friends that I get on vacation. As we get older and priorities change, that time together is precious.
- I take the time to say thank you to those in the travel industry that make our vacations memorable and safe.
- I don't sweat the little things and focus on the fact that we can travel.
The most challenging part of planning vacations used to be picking a date and location. While I miss those days, I look forward to traveling again with a greater appreciation of what travel brings to our life.
Benefits of Timeshare Through Hilton Grand Vacations
For me, vacation ownership with Hilton Grand Vacations affords time with family and friends, and time to reenergize as we set aside the world's problems. While we're on vacation, I love that our sole focus is on building lifelong memories while exploring new places and finding hidden treasures along the way.
It's something for which I have a new appreciation and will truly savor each time.
Read Affordable Family Vacations Start With Timeshare to explore how Owners maximize Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare.