In 2021 we were married for thirty-five years. I thought that should be celebrated. I was so excited because I chose England, a place my husband has always wanted to visit. I worked with Joy and she laid out the perfect vacation and so all I had to do was let time pass.

I received a call from Joy in late October 2021 letting me know that it was looking dicey due to an uptick in covid in the UK and be paying attention. If I needed to cancel, we would have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks. I read and listen to news from Britain every day hoping to hear a good report. To my utter disappointment I read that people entering the UK no matter their vaccination status would have to quarantine for two weeks and then test negative before hitting the streets of London. I had to cancel my dream vacation.

Joy knew I was disappointed, but also understood that all was not lost. She emailed me about various ways I could use my travel credit and I could always celebrate in London next year. Thirty-six years married isn’t nothing. LOL So I let go of that letdown feeling, picked myself up and started planning.

After Bob and I discussed and looked at lots of amazing things to do and see, we decided to take our credit and add time to our River Christmas Cruise that we had booked. The cruise began in Nuremburg and ended in Vienna. I had heard wonderful things about Nuremburg and as a history teacher it was a high value location. We added five days before our cruise, and it was the best decision. Yes it was December, yes it was colder than who done it, but it was also magical, and breathtaking, and interesting, and above our wildest expectations. We had the best travel experience ever.

The bonus was some good friends of ours also booked the cruise and so we shared this trip with people we love. Denise and I had both suffered the loss of our moms in 2022 and spending that time together, sharing our grief with so much joy was so meaningful. I had also lost my dad, who I was very close to, to covid just 13 months before I lost my mom, so I was still grieving him. The amazing thing is, I felt so close to my dad on this trip. Many things he loved were a part of this trip. He loved the snow, and it snowed three of the five days we were in Nuremberg. The churches we were in would have been so meaningful to my pastor dad. I felt like he was there with me in so many little things enjoying this time as well. It was wonderful for me and Denise to speak about our loss but with immense joy knowing how blessed we were to share it with each other. In lots of ways this trip brought the happiness of the holidays back to me.

The moral of this story is to not let disappointment keep you from a new adventure. Life is a gift so don’t put off what you want to do because you have a setback. Call that friend, take up a new hobby, book that trip, and see what blessing comes from an unexpected journey.

- Denise & Bob (satisfied customers)

An Unexpected Journey