The aggressive shut down that New York State put in place saved lives, plain and simple. But it also hurt plenty of businesses, and is still hurting some as our state and region limp toward economic recovery. But in the grand scheme of things, and compared to the rest of the country, our aggressive measures and continued mask-wearing have paid off and landed New York on a short list of states that Costa Rica is accepting tourists from. The travel industry is one business that has certainly suffered throughout this pandemic. If you’re fortunate enough to have held on to your job and expendable income, and have the itch to get back abroad, you can still support local when you book your trip.

Denise Ambrusko-Maida, a friend with whom we’ve worked on a bunch of projects in the past, is a local agency owner with Travel Brilliant. She can help get you abroad, and take care of nearly every detail along the way. She’s organized an eight-day trip to Costa Rica in March that includes airfare, lodging at five different hotels, and food and entertainment.

You’ve worked extremely hard these past few months, and will continue to do so through fall and winter. Put a trip where everything’s handled for you on your calendar for March and keep that light at the end of the tunnel.