When I was a kid we took quite a few road trips. We would always be camping, a hotel was far too luxurious for my parents. The two family vehicles I remember traveling in on these road trips were a Chevy Impala (early 1980s) and then we purchased an ‘84 Chevy Conversion van. Oh, were we in style. All our camping equipment was from the 1970s, but the van was so cool.

There was one tradition that stayed with us no matter the year or the vehicle we were in; when we crossed the border from one state to the next we would bid farewell to the state we were leaving and greet the state we were going into. For example we would always say in unison and with great passion, “Goodbye Wyoming, Hello South Dakota!”

We were leaving part of our journey, with all its lessons and joys, and heading into a new part of the journey where there was an adventure waiting for us. There will be some bumps along the way and some road construction. There will certainly be lessons learned and wonderful sights seen.

It is like saying goodbye to one year and hello to the next. Soon we will see 2023 in our rearview mirror. We will turn our calendars to 2024. It is not always easy to say good-bye. There are different reasons why we want to hang on. Our journey into 2024 is before us and no matter if you are driving a cool van, or riding an awesome bike, or hiking into the new year I hope it is one that you greet with passion, positivity, and compassion.

We will all have our struggles, our bumps in the road, in 2024. Ask for help when you need it and be there for someone who needs a helping hand. Let this year be one of great compassion and kindness for one another.

Happy New Year!