Holly’s (Not-So) Happy Holiday

Dave Bowden

Here we go again, Holly thought to herself.

As she stood on the front porch of her in-laws last December, shivering as she waited for them to shuffle to the door and relieve her and the kids of the 100 pounds of presents, food and wine they were collectively carrying, her mind wandered back to that fateful conversation she had in June.

“Oh, I’m Not Worried About it.”

It was a perfect summer day. As she sat poolside listening to her friends excitedly explain (read: brag about) their upcoming trip to Myanmar, which they had booked a couple months back and would take their kids on in December, nary a concern entered Holly’s mind—except the pending question of whether or not to have another mimosa.

“So, where are you guys going for the holidays?” her friend asked.

The holidays!? It’s June! Holly thought to herself. I don’t know what we’re doing for Labour Day yet!

“Umm, I don’t know,” Holly offered nonchalantly, “we’ll probably start looking into it next month.”

“Next month?” her friend asked, with a little more concern in her voice than Holly thought was necessary. “Are you sure you’ll be able to find something? My travel expert at B&R told me December trips tend to book up by March.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about it,” Holly said. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

A Gelatinous Blob and a Solemn Vow

That winter as she emptied a can of cranberry sauce onto a plate and watched the gelatinous red blob jiggle unnaturally, Holly was forced to admit that the only thing she had figured out was the importance of booking early. She had called B&R immediately after the conversation with her friend in June, only to find that her top three December destinations (Vietnam, Cambodia and South Africa) were completely booked.

I wonder what it’s like in Myanmar right now, she sighed to herself, watching snow swirl around the tree in the backyard.

She vowed then and there not to repeat her mistake. When the haze of the holidays wore off, she called B&R in January and started working with a travel expert to plan a trip that will have her clambering for December to roll around this year rather than dreading it. She combined her top two choices from last year and booked her family on Vietnam to Cambodia Family Biking.

Ho Chi Minh and Angkor Wat? Sure beats snowstorms and cranberry sauce. There’s just one thing left to book, Holly thought to herself—another session at the pool with her friend, so she could “explain” how excited she is about her trip.

Don’t Wait!

Trust us: the best way to ensure you’ll escape the next snowy season is to book before this one’s even done. (Need a little further inspiration? Just look at that cranberry sauce again.)