Vacations

Camping on Deep Creek in the Smokey Mountains... that is my first memory of a ‘vacation.' The icy cold water, the squeak and smell of a rubber inner tube – bumping my butt along the top of smooth river rocks and white water rushing between boulders as we squealed and laughed our way downstream. Fried Chicken in a cast iron skillet. Eating juicy fresh peaches in the back seat of the car... rolling down the window to breathe in the cool earthy smell of the forest. I remember everything about those mountain vacations with my family. And, although I'm old as those ole hills, if I stop and concentrate, I can remember some pretty amazing and delightful details of every vacation since.

It wasn't expensive to go camping in those days. It's still an affordable way for families to take a vacation, and every family should. You might think your kids (or in our case, grandkids) won't remember or care, but... think about it. You remember, don't you?

Vacations are still so much fun for our family. But, these days, they are a lot MORE than that. Not to be overly dramatic, but I truly believe my head would explode if we didn't ‘get away.' (Have you noticed how many more people call their vacations "get aways" this year? We really are trying to escape the real world – with good reason!)

Anyway, my point is this... Vacations are good for you. The stress of financial worries, job worries and world worries takes a physical toll. Keeping your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel will just make your nose flat and your shoulder sore. Everyone I know works hard. I work hard, too. But, the folks who seem to be doing well through this recession are the ones who have discovered the secret of balancing all that hard work with quality of life.

You may say, "I can't afford a vacation right now." I say, you can't afford NOT to (is that a double negative? OK – you know what I mean). A vacation is the best investment you can make. AND, a vacation is not a three day weekend working around the house. A vacation is a prolonged, relaxed, happy selfishly indulgant, playful time away from home and work.

I don't know about you, but work is so crazy and so intense, it takes me about three days to finally relax and leave the stress behind... so, I keep telling my family that I need a little longer vacation to really feel the benefits! At least seven days – better if it's 10... even better if it's 10 days with good friends and family. Even better if it's 10 days with good friends and family in a beautiful place rich in natural beauty, music and culture... with really great food and lots of WINE!

So, yes, we're in the ‘business' of vacations, but we TAKE vacations, too, so you should listen to us! We're professional vacationers! And, our advice is this... TAKE A VACATION! A LONG ONE! It's good for you. It is an investment in your health and your future.

And, if you really are worried about how much it's going to cost, we can help you with that, too! We have some GREAT vacation deals from some of our very best clients in our very best vacation destinations, and we're going to put the really juicy good ones up on our website for you. We will keep it updated, and, so far, the deals are going fast – first come, first served, so if you know someone who really needs a vacation, send them this link, and keep an eye out for your own vacation, too!

How about a week in Key West... or, New Orleans? How about a 7 day getaway to Panama City Beach ... reading a good book on the beach with your toes in the edge of the surf? Swinging in a hammock at Pawley's Island? Renting a little beach house on 30A? A week in paradise on Little Palm Island? A luxury suite at Emerald Grande in Destin? A condo on Myrtle Beach with your golf buddies? Or, hey – how about a week in a suite at the 4 Seasons in Atlanta... with theater and spa treatments? You get the idea. Don't procrastinate. Do it now! And, be sure you send photos!

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