Adieu, 2021. I'll miss you. 

(Really!)

The past two years have been...well...not what we might have wished. 

But compared to 2020, I'll be darned if 2021 didn't actually offer some real joy for me. How about you?

In late January, I started to volunteer at the vaccine mega-site for Dallas County and was thrilled to be part of such a historic effort. Needless to say, I was also just as thrilled to get my own vaccine doses during the time I volunteered there (about three months).

Starting small

The first trip I planned, now that I could look at a calendar with new eyes, was to see my father for his 86th birthday.

In May, I traveled to Chicago to scout for a future Mon Voyage Small Group Trip. It was exhilarating to be able to take in the sights of a favorite destination: the Art Institute; Lincoln Park Zoo; the architecture; a walking tour highlighting the spectacular murals of the Pilsen neighborhood. I would love to offer a trip to this cultural capital in 2023.

Crossing the pond

By mid-summer, I was ready to tackle something a bit bigger: a return to Europe. Around this time. a very special professional education opportunity arose and I decided to take the leap.

I took two river cruises on AmaWaterways, one on the Rhine (with daily classes) and one on the Danube, and a long list of superlatives would not even begin to convey how marvelous both of those trips were. I've got tons of great information to share with you about destinations on these routes!

Europe welcomed us back with warm hospitality and I never felt that I had been separated from so many favorite destinations for such a long time. It was comfortable and familiar, and the feeling of finally being back there was indescribable. The small (or nonexistent) crowds we encountered only enhanced the experience.

The third 2021 trip to Europe was an oft-postponed adventure to the South of Italy, and a mighty fine time it was! Gorgeous weather, delightful company; edifying experiences. The return of Mon Voyage Small Group Trips after two long years was a time to be treasured.

Home again, home again

I rounded out the year with another rescheduled Small Group Trip to a much closer destination, my hometown of New Orleans. History, art, culture--we had a taste of everything. And the actual food? Well, I don't think any of us could have eaten another bite!

By the end of the year, I had traveled more or less as much as I would have any other year, and this comes as a pleasant--nay, joyful--surprise.

I had given up trying to predict anything, and yet 2021 turned out to be a remarkable year for travel. 

If we had started to take this privilege for granted before 2020, we have been reminded how much we truly appreciate the opportunity to discover a new destination or interact with citizens of a far-off land once again.

Looking ahead

I anticipate some incredible Mon Voyage travel experiences in 2022: an educational trip to Budapest to inspect river cruise ships from seven or eight different lines, and possibly a lower Danube cruise to some interesting Central European locales; a small group on a private barge charter in Holland at the end of tulip season; a spectacular small group opera trip to Verona and Milan in the summer; an immersive art-focused trip to Paris and Normandy with a Seine cruise as its centerpiece (with $1000 off until Christmas Eve!!); and finally, in November, a week in Mexico City to explore the rich history, art, music, and culture of our vivacious neighbor to the south (details coming soon).

No one ever knows what will happen in the future, be it tomorrow or a year from now, but it is always healthy to look ahead with optimism and hope. What's on your list? Near? Far? New? Revisiting a favorite? (I never get tired of Paris myself.)

To quote Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), "If you think it, want it, dream it, then it's real."

Holiday schedule

The Mon Voyage office will be closed between Christmas Eve and the New Year as I head to New York.

Until then, I wish you a bright and hopeful 2022, filled with adventure, love, and sweet memories yet to be made.

P.S. If you didn't get to do the fun culture capitals quiz last time, click here!