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Well, believe it or not, another year has come and gone. To me, each one seems to be passing by at a rapid pace now. When I was a kid, it felt like each year took about 5-years to arrive. Now, they seem to come around every few months. When you’ve traveled through as many years as I now have, there is the temptation to take that trip for granted. We must refuse to give into such temptation. 

In recent years, Jean and I have made some wonderful trips around our nation, as well as several parts of the world. I have shared details about many of those trips with you in some of my columns.  As much as I have enjoyed those trips and am thankful to have had those opportunities, none of them are as important as the longest trip we take each year. It takes the entire year, and we travel all the way around the sun. The intriguing thing about this trip is that we really don’t have to go anywhere. We don’t jump in a car, board a plane, or a ship. All we have to do is simply stay put on planet earth, kick back and enjoy the ride.

I begin another year realizing once again that I need a new vehicle. They do wear out! I was looking at buying a new one as we began this past year, but then the prices went through the ceiling, so I am still looking. I have a habit of buying a new vehicle about once every decade, or until my old one refuses to accompany me as I travel. I have usually drained most of the miles out by then. I am driving a 2011 Ford Escape. That vehicle is now 12-years old, and it has around 215,000 miles on it. Much like its owner, it is showing several signs of wear and tear. It still runs well and doesn’t even use a quart of oil between changes. It may be running better than me. I use a couple of quarts (of coffee)! Still, I know the inevitable is coming. Maybe this will be the year. When I finally do decide to make the trade, I won’t simply drive down to a dealership and leave my old friend and drive away in a new one. I will go through the old Escape and remove all my belongings. I know there are hidden treasures beneath the seats (and perhaps a lost candy bar). I probably won’t find enough loose change under there to make a down payment, but I might find enough for a hamburger and soft drink. I’ll keep some of the things I’ll find in there. I’ll move some of them over to the new vehicle, but there will be some things that I will need to part with and throw in the trash.  

If we travel by air, the airlines limit how much baggage we can take. If we take extra baggage, we have to pay for it. As we travel into 2023, and begin another trip around the sun, we should also limit how much baggage we take with us. 

A whole new 12-month-long trip is staring us in the face. Buckle up, pray up, commit, hang on, and enjoy the ride. Happy New Year!