Tis the season to get out of town! With Hanukkah upon us, Santa doin’ his thing for those with whom he does his thing, and New Year’s on the heels of it all…more people will be traveling over the next two weeks than at any time throughout the year. Vacation time is supposed to be a time of refreshment, escape and bliss. But with the challenges of airline rules, security issues, unpredictable weather, traffic surprises, lugging heavy luggage, and challenging traveling companions and its a wonder we ever get the fun out of what we seek. To help you deal with some of the potential headaches of travel, here are a few tips on preparation, prevention and patience:

*Anticipate the unexpected. It may be an unexpected traffic jam, a car that won’t start or a suitcase handle that breaks as you are packing. Leave yourself plenty of time for the unexpected. It’s better to have time for an unexpected leisurely cup of coffee at the airport than to have to be nervous that you will miss your flight.

*Some things you are in control of; and others you are not…identify which is which. No matter how hard you try, you can’t use your mental telepathy to “will” a plane to take off on time. Take solace in the serenity prayer as written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.

*A smile and a thank you will get you farther than a “bark”. On travel days, everyone is stressed out. The last thing that a gate agent expects is for someone to say “thank you”, or “I appreciate what you’ve done for me”. If you want to get something done…be “exceptionally nice”.

*Travel light. Carrying on a backpack, a rolley, and hands full of packages will make your flight “Not Fun”.  Don’t be an overpacker – rather, be an “over underpacker”.  Its a lot cheaper to do a little laundry while on vcation than it is to pay for overweight or too many pieces of luggage. Do your best to minimize the carry-ons – think of how much better it will be not to have to fight for the overhead compartment with your seat-mates.

*Start packing sooner than later. Move on from that college student mentality where cramming the night before is hip.  Lay things out a little at a time starting a few days before your travels. By spreading out the task, you relieve yourself of a full-onstress day, the day before your travel.  The last night is used only for putting everything into the suitcase (and hoping it weighs less than 50 pounds!).

*Patience is a virtue…but it isn’t an option. No one likes to stand in line, especially a long one. The holiday time is notorious for “Travel Newbies”. Remember, not everyone is travel savvy. Believe it or not, some people don’t know that they have to take their computer out, or that they have to take their shoes off (Some people even argue that point with the TSA agents). If you’ve left yourself plenty of time, you can sit back and giggle at their ignorance.

* Traveling is a journey, not a destination.   With proper physical, mental and organizational preparation, the journey to get where you’re going can be part of the fun.  Don’t look at the packing, the flight or the road trip as a means to the end. By looking at is as a part of the journey, you can not only limit your stress but have a little fun on the way.

If the bankruptcies of Delta and United  are any indication, American’s decision to file Chapter 11 will also hit the company’s employees fairly hard.  Chances are that today’s move will lead to new contracts for less money. The bankruptcy may also affect customers in out-of-the-way locations, as American may cut less-profitable routes.

The Torah explains that Jews have 613 mitzvot by which we should base our good-deeds lives upon. There are mitzvot about foods, holidays and prayers, kindness and cleanliness, honesty, how to treat other people and lots more.

Some of the mitzvahs we should try do are:

• Honor your mother and father
• Give Charity
• Learn
• Pray
• Visit the sick or elderly
• Care for animals

This past weekend in the heart of New York City and just a few days prior to our Days of Awe, an amazing journey of another kind took place thanks to the kindness, generosity and mitzvah of three siblings.  Bruce and Steven Stark and Ellen Gabe, owners of Beacon Paint & Hardware (www.beaconpaint.com) hosted their 12th annual Guiding Eyes for the Blind fundraiser; an organization that raises and trains seeing-eye dogs.

After Shabbat on Sept 24th, over 300 supporters gathered in a school yard adjacent to the Museum of National History for music, food, puppy playtime, socializing and a presentation full of accolades to those who helped make the event possible.  The food, lighting, staging and even t-shirts were all donated for this worthy cause and by the end of the night over $15,000 was raised for this wonderful cause.

I traveled up from Pittsburgh to take part of this meaningful event. I returned home after the weekend touched and honored to have been invited to take part.  This was not an event about loving animals, although those who love dogs were certainly overjoyed. This was an event about helping people in need.  It takes tens of thousands of dollars to raise, train and support a service dog and their meanings to the lives of needy people cannot be understated.  Bruce, Steven and Ellen know that premise all too well as they had a sister who suffered blindness and greatly benefitted from her beloved service pup.

In the spirit of Rosh Hashana and the most powerful, meaningful time of year for us Jews….cheers to Bruce, Steven and Ellen for all their mitzvahs during this amazing journey of a different kind!  And yes, Amazing Journeys passengers were grand supporters as well. Over 40 local (and a couple out of towners) came to the event – and dozens more sent in donations. 

Shana Tova to one and all. May this year be amazing; full of love, good health, prosperity, great friends and lots of togetherness. 

Summers and vacations go hand-in-hand.  Growing up, most of us had the good fortune to be taken by our parents on a family vacation.  Whether we went to the beach, a resort, on a European tour, enjoyed a cottage in the mountains, or to visit relatives, these experiences have engrained themselves in our minds as some of the happiest of times in our lives.

Summer is the busiest time of year at Amazing Journeys because people equate summer with travel.  We have more travel opportunities packed into a few short months than at any other time of the year.  Folks always ask us, “Where do you go when you vacation?”  “When do you have time to get away?”  Well, the staff at Amazing Journeys, along with planning your summer vacations, is taking some time off to enjoy some of our favorite destinations.

Malori and Barry are back at Hershey, Pennsylvania for the 25^th consecutive year.  Barry has a conference there each year, and Malori uses these three days to enjoy the surroundings of the landscape as well as the features of the resort.  With the exception of the past two years, it was always a family vacation, and all of the kids had been here to share in the experience. Barry sits in a conference room listening to a lecture, while the rest of the family gorged on chocolate and enjoyed Hershey Park, the amusement park across the street from our hotel.

Only a four-hour drive from Pittsburgh (only three from New York City and two from Washington DC), The Hotel Hershey is a gem.  An older hotel, it has the grace and style of a Mediterranean villa, with all of the modern features of a 21^st century resort.  Some of the hotel features include Jazz on the Veranda on Friday nights, The Circular Dining Room which is a beautiful restaurant overlooking formal gardens and fountains, The Hershey Spa, complete with “chocolate massages, ” a pool with water slides alongside a quiet, adult section and my favorite, a BBQ picnic dinner on the lawn with s’mores for dessert!  There is chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate here.  From the Hershey bar each guest is presented upon check in at the front desk, to lots of Hershey Kisses on the bed each night, to Dove candies for the taking in all of the restaurants and gift shops, chocolate soup, chocolate bread and chocolate butter served in the restaurant, chocolate martinis in the bar and to the smell of chocolate permeating the air from the nearby Hershey’s Chocolate factory.  This is truly the sweetest place on earth!

In addition to the hotel itself, we have visited the surrounding area and always taken one afternoon of our stay to enjoy nearby activities.   Historical Gettysburg is just down the road, 30 miles away.  We have taken the kids to Amish Country in nearby Lancaster and cute little towns along the way such as Intercourse, PA.  Philly is only an hour and a half from here and provided lots of history lessons.  We have been to a pretzel factory and Indian Cavern Caves.   This place offers so many eye-opening opportunities and is so close to home.

Further afield, Bill is spending his summer vacation on a cruise to Alaska, his little slice of heaven and his favorite spot on earth.  This, his 13^th visit to this magical land, he is seeing it without a group in tow.  Although we love showing our groups “Our Alaska,” how fun is it to visit a place you love with no schedule?   He has no place to be at any given time, no planned activities to carry out.  Plus, he is able to experience some new and amazing excursions, hoping to discover something that will be a fun and fabulous experience we can share with our Amazing Journeys passengers on future trips to Alaska.

Michele will spend her summer vacation at the beach with her family and some friends.  Who doesn’t love a beach vacation?  A familiar surrounding, her family loves the beach for the relaxed atmosphere it provides.  Sitting in the warm sunshine, listening to the crashing waves on the sand, and playing in the water provides fun for the entire family.  Nights are spent laughing and talking with the people you care most about in your life, while catching up with good friends who you only get to see only once a year.

Sometimes, you don’t have to go far to enjoy a taste of summer.  A vacation can be anywhere you don’t have the day-to-day responsibilities of work, home or taking care of others.  Once you step out of your daily grind, and away from opening mail, emails and taking phone calls,  your vacation has begun.

We look forward to hearing about your summer vacation plans, and hope that whatever you do this summer, that it’s amazing!