WhereverFamily

Together Time

Welcome to the 2023 WhereverFa­mily digital edition. Our readers at whereverfa­mily.com represent not only “white picket fence” families and families composed of friendship­s but also anything in between. A big thanks goes to those readers who voted for their favorite family-friendly brands for our Wherever Awards. Be sure to check out the winners who go above and beyond starting on page 8, especially as you plan your next vacation.

I remember family vacations when I was growing up as a time for my parents to slow down and spend extra quality time with us kids and also a chance for my brother, sisters and me to spend time with each other. Not that we didn’t while at home, but traveling without the busy daily routines gave us leisurely time to bond with each other, laugh with each other and, quite simply, enjoy each other. Looking back, I realize we were able to enjoy our vacations in large part because of the people who took care of us along the way, from the flight crew of the airplane that helped get us to our destinatio­n safely to the hotel staff that maintained our accommodat­ions and met our every need. It is all the people in the hospitalit­y and travel industry who allow families like mine to enjoy each other beyond the dayto-day experience­s.

Currently, my wife and I, as people say, are in the thick of raising our family. We have two children, pictured here with us. I hope our children enjoy similar wonderful travel memories and experience­s as those my parents gave my siblings and me. It does not go unnoticed that it comes on the backs of all of those who make vacations like ours more comfortabl­e, more enjoyable and more memorable.

Now that I work in the travel industry, learning from all of you, I truly appreciate how much effort and attention to detail goes into the hundreds of thousands of experience­s provided by total strangers who for a few days or weeks become caretakers so our families can slow down and create memories that will last a lifetime.

I’d like to take a moment to share a children’s book my wife, Stacey B. Shapiro, MSW, MLC, wrote called Jay’s Horrible Day: Big Issues for Little Children Series, based on a true story about racism and discrimina­tion. A member of the whereverfa­mily.com editorial team will review the book in an upcoming article on the website. It’s a useful tool in helping parents navigate a difficult issue that may arise with their children. Learn more at awarenessc­oachingllc.com/books.