But not only is it a New Year, it’s 2025 and to me that feels big.
We’re a quarter of a century in, but for many of us Y2K feels like it was just last week… I guess that’s what happens at this time of the year though; we reminisce with friends and family, sharing memories both happy and not so happy and possibly even dare to dream about the future too.
For those of us fortunate enough to call Port home, it’s a magical time of the year. It’s true, we may need to share our beaches and favourite coffee shops with a couple of extra (much needed and appreciated) visitors, but there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being at home at this time of the year.
Lazy days spent by the pool or at the beach, followed by long summer nights around the BBQ with friends, fresh produce and afternoon siestas are all on high rotation. But all too soon the call of routine and the daily rituals that we all need are back on the agenda.
For me as a small business owner, this means getting right back into my seasonal buying trips. There are Spring/Summer Collections to view and commit to, projections and decisions to be made and plans to implement. The face of retail is definitely evolving, and interestingly there is a real shift back to personal, in store shopping experiences verses the impersonal online shopping phenomena that took over during the COVID era.
While of course there will always be a place for online shopping, imagine if you went on holidays to a gorgeous little coastal town and all you could find were empty shopfronts, or worse still large retail chains where you’re required to scan, pack and pay for your own purchases and your only human interaction was with the Security Person at the door ensuring you didn’t forget to pay for that plastic thing stuck under your arm… sounds like a living nightmare to me.
A holiday in a regional area without experiencing the small, passionately run, locally owned businesses is like going to the beach and staying in the car. You just shouldn’t do it or you’ll miss out on all the fun. I don’t know about you, but for me discovering all the little gems hidden within these fabulous regional towns is what travelling in your own backyard is all about.
From the magnificent dinners you had, the cocktails you shared, the amazing little hole in the wall coffee shop you found (yes, I am biased because we do have one of those in our shop) to the gorgeous new dress or earrings you bought at that super sweet boutique you stumbled across, that’s what makes summer holidays memorable.
So as we all reflect on the year that was, and look forward with sweet anticipation to the year ahead; let’s all continue to remain aware of what it is that makes our town special, and it’s not just the magnificent beaches… It’s the people who turn up each and every day and “have a go”. They “have a go” for their families and the community at large and it’s us that need to continue turning up to support them.
Last year I ended my January Musing with a callout to enjoy the little things in life over summer. To eat the oysters, drink the bubbles, buy the dress and order that second coffee… this year I can’t help but feel the same way.
Except this year I feel like we need to see that suggestion and raise it, because if we don’t… we may just find ourselves sitting in the car at the beach wishing we had.
