Holidays are seen as a time when loneliness reaches a peak because it is a time of socialization, revelry, and sharing. The tendency to view it in this limited way increases the sense of psychological pain for those who feel left out. This is where we need to make a distinction. There is a difference between being alone and being lonely.

Being alone can be a time of discovery, enjoyment, and creative thinking regarding one's life and what we would like in it. Turn your thinking around and you can enjoy your own power in two new ways; personal discovery while alone and resolving links to others to combat loneliness. How do you do that? Begin by opening your mind's horizons to possibility.

One way would be to develop a new interest where you can share, probably online, this subject matter with others. I know that many people have discovered the wonders of going on an African safari, complete with a guide, on the internet. How about you? What about getting up close and personal with lions at Wild Earth?

If you'd like something a bit more cerebral, why not join an online book writing group? There are many and they offer podcasts as well as facetime features. One of the best online niches for writers whether beginners or advanced is Reedsy. They also have great YouTube videos for authors seeking advice in many areas.

Interested in going on a virtual archeologic dig? There's a place for that. The Archaeological Institute of America has interactive virtual digs. Here's one on Pompei. Vist any number of sites where they're working and you'll soon catch the bug.

Do you like birding but can't get out now? One of the best places to visit is run by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and it's free. Do a little digging on the internet with Google and you will find more classes like this one. And please don't forget all the active birdcams on the internet. My favorite has always been Phoebe, the hummingbird who has her nest in a rosebush in California. Search for her and the wonderful storks that nest on a rooftop in Europe.

Museum visits, no matter where in the world they may be, are possible via the internet, too bring the wonders of these institutions into your home.

Most of the tours may have the ability to interact with the guides (especially on the safaris) and people do form warm relationships sharing what they've seen. It's a giving world out there and providing interesting tips is what they do generously.

The pandemic and omicron may have kept us from the people and the things we love, but there's no reason we can't use creativity to refresh our world in new ways. Enlarge your interests and who knows what you may discover. In fact, discovery is what it's all about and if I know one thing it's that "good from bad" is always the motto.

Enjoy your journeys now and in the future.