As a recreational runner, November and December often remind me of the last few miles of a race. Exhausted from the long haul, we dig deep to find our second or third wind. I can feel the pace quickening around me as we attempt to carry out all of our holiday visions and complete any outstanding resolutions before the year draws to a close.

During these times, I find comfort in my “happy places.” The Internet provides an escape, where I check in with destinations of travels past, places where I found peace and hope to one day return.

It was during one nostalgic search when I came upon an article about one of my favorite towns, Vernazza, Italy. It is one in a series of five towns called Cinque Terre along the Italian Riviera. The towns are connected by train and a series of hiking trails that cling to the coastline, offering jaw-dropping views of the Ligurian Sea from every turn. Through a maze of stairways and pedestrian-only streets, it is easy to become entranced by the simplicity of the region’s lifestyle and never want to leave.

Hoping to read a little something to bring me back, I was instead stunned to learn the town was devastated on Oct. 25, 2011, when an intense rainstorm caused flooding and landslides. The waters tore through the town causing massive destruction and taking at least six lives. Seeing the photos of my beloved town was heartbreaking. The town has established a website called Save Vernazza to raise funds to help them rebuild, through which I eagerly contributed.

While this alarming discovery did not offer me the comfort I was seeking, it brought to my attention that those I count as my loved ones extend beyond my friends and family to the amazing places I have traveled and the people I met. Perhaps I found my holiday spirit after all, recognizing the urgency that I am feeling is not in fact a seasonal chore, but rather an annual awareness of the preciousness of time spent with our favorite people in our favorite places. We should seek out these opportunities, not with a steady jog but rather the full sprint of the last few miles.

— Danielle Hudena, director of sales and marketing