I read somewhere that that there are three stages of enjoyment of a holiday or trip. The first stage is of course, is that of the preparation and planning. Although there may be a lot to say for spontaneity, planning a trip creates anticipation. That anticipation is further ramped up when talking to family and friends about the upcoming trip. 

 A study done back in 2010 in Holland, compared happiness levels of pre-vacationers to non-vacationers. It was revealed that pre-vacationers showed higher levels of happiness than the non-vacationers. They needed a study to demonstrate that fact?

It was our intention to go away in the Fall of 2023 to celebrate our significant birthdays. I will not go into the numbers for those significant birthdays, but they did seem a reason to celebrate. However, our inability to join the Fall tour that we wanted was a blessing as it has allowed me a longer period of anticipation.

This phase also introduced me to a person who I now call a friend.