When we lived in Switzerland, it was easy to ignore the winter blues with visits to Christmas markets in nearby cities. Most of them were set in charming cobbled squares or along a river or lake, and they were lit by colorful lights and bonfires.

Five years ago, my husband and I moved back to the U.S. after living overseas for fifteen years. We still traveled to Europe and Africa every year to visit our daughter and friends in foreign countries, until Covid lockdowns stopped us in our tracks. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.