January 2023

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View this email in your browser Greetings Friends, Happy New Year!  I hope the first week of 2023 has been going well for you and your loved ones.  After what felt like a long holiday season, the new year has been bringing some much-needed routine to my family. That being said, December was an action-packed and fun-filled month.  At the beginning of the month, we saw a high school production of A Christmas Carol.  Peter did pretty well and made it through the whole production without getting too squirmy. One Saturday morning in December, Sandy and I were lucky enough to take a holiday tour of the Governor's Mansion here in Madison, WI.  We've both wanted to do this for a long time.  It was one of the most unique experiences we've had in a while.  It was a self-guided tour through some of the rooms, which were all nicely decorated.  There were docents to provide information and answer questions.  A highlight for Sandy was seeing a Christmas tree made of children's books.  Being a librarian, Sandy was ecstatic.  I liked hearing all the stories and history behind the building.  I think we're going to try and do this every year from now on. In the middle of the month, Sandy I flew to New York to attend a wedding for one of my cousins.  It was a great time celebrating with family.  My in-laws watched out kids, so it was a rare few days away for just mom and dad.  We had a great time. A big highlight for our family was Sarah and Peter participating in our church's holiday pageant.  Sarah was an angel.  In her words "the stars of the show".  And Peter was a lamb.  We loved seeing our kids up there and everyone did an excellent job. On Christmas Eve we went to a nice family service at church.  Christmas Day was low-keyed.  The kids had us up around 6:30 to see what Santa brought.  We ate pound cake for breakfast (one of my family's traditions).  And relaxed the rest of the day.  Some of our kid's favorite gifts were Legos, squishy balls, and a sword and shield set inspired from of our trip to Medieval Times last spring. As many of you know from the previous monthly emails I've sent, my favorite band is Phish.  They traditionally ring in the New Year with a four-night run of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  I was lucky to go see the concerts on 12/30 and 12/31 with four of my best friends.  The shows were incredible, and connecting and spending so much time with people I rarely get to see made it all the more memorable.  On New Year's Day, I had a late flight and spent the afternoon with my family on Long Island.  A bonus to spend more time with people I care so much about. I'm sure many of you saw the reports of all the headaches traveling caused over the holidays.  Luckily, all my clients had smooth trips.  However, all these delays and cancelations of flights are a prime reason why I always recommend travel insurance.  This can reimburse you for any costs incurred when these situations arise.   In terms of how 2023 is shaping up to be - I've never seen this strong of a desire to travel from past clients and potential clients contacting me.  Many of you want to get away someplace warm this winter, and others are planning summer vacations to Europe.  And still, some people want to jump on a cruise and enjoy life on the open water.  I'm always here to help guide you on your journey. Have a wonderful weekend, Brian Contact Today See previous monthly emails here.