Lyndi and Sam, my two children, are both in college. Like a lot of parents do at this time, we wonder if our times to do “family” vacations will shrink. So the days after Christmas but before they go back to college is an ideal time to take a vacation… that plus, January is always an excellent choice to enjoy some nonwinter climate, right?! So this week, my family and I are in Florida, enjoying Florida-type activities. This is my first vacation that I’ve taken while mayor and I noticed one difference. In my head, I’m Moorhead’s mayor everywhere I go. Now, I’ve always taken vacations where I’m checking email, voice messages, and connecting back with people. My family knows it’s not too unusual that I might bring some work with me, to read or work on during the flight. The difference with this position is that I see Moorhead possibilities wherever I go. I see a mural on a building, and I wonder what that would look like on a downtown Moorhead building. We go into an older building made into a wonderful used book store, and I think of where this could be in Moorhead. I notice some interesting paving material and wonder how that translates to our climate. Friends tell me that I should forget everything and just have fun, but truthfully, this is fun. What a great way to start a new year. Happy New Year to you!