With the holiday season in full swing, there is no shortage of classic holiday films and music to meet the willing, and sometimes unwilling, recipient. Stores are playing those tunes we’ve all heard 1000 times, but still look forward to hearing every year. Then there are those holiday movies and television specials. Everyone has their favorite, and it is a hotly contested topic as to which one is best.

While the answer to that will never be agreed upon, one undeniable classic is “It’s A Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart. Despite being made almost 70 years ago, it will always be a classic for it’s universality, and its timeless and poignant message.

The film highlights a life that could seemingly be our own, even in 2015. The basic desires of the average American have not changed that much, a roof over his or her head, a job, and a family. And for George Bailey, as with many of us, the ability to travel and see the world. If only George Bailey lived in modern times, when travel has become infinitely easier. No Carmel app in 1946? How did people get where they were going?

One of George’s great quotes is a conversation with Uncle Billy, “…You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are?… Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.” George’s need to get out of Bedford Falls and escape is a feeling that almost everyone has experienced. As humans living in a life of routine, the need to escape once in a while is a familiar one.

There is so much to see, and George was going to see it all. (Hopefully he has his holiday Carmel car booked to take him to the airport). It is always a good idea to travel and see what there is to see in the world, whether you’re from a small Bedford Falls-like town or a major metropolitan area.

We won’t be able to promise you that your Carmel diver will be named Ernie and sing to you on your honeymoon with a local police officer. But, like Ernie in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” our Carmel drivers will take the utmost care in getting you to your holiday destination, both here and abroad. And like another classic films says, there’s no place like home, so give us a call when you’re back, and we will take you back to your Bedford Falls.