Will and I have done a few holiday-timed trips and the holidays are understandably a popular time to travel because people already have days off of work and it’s nice to be with family on those days.
When traveling for the holidays there are a few extras to keep in mind:
- Always budget extra time – lots of other people are also traveling this time of year so delays are inevitable; don’t pack your schedule so tight that it leaves no room for error!
- Don’t jam pack your schedule – this is especially true if you are meeting up with family; extra opinions about what to do/eat/see make decision-making and getting out the door take that much longer. Also if you are traveling to be with family, make sure you leave time to actually be with them, not just crash on their couch and not see them all vacation.
- Double check openings & closings – this goes for museums, subways, street closures, restaurants, etc. Always make sure what you want to do is open especially the day of or after a holiday. Personally, I like to leave the actual holiday “open” for outdoor adventures. If everything is closed, I can always use my two feet to do what I want to do outside.
- Be patient – this goes for family members as well as traveling; the holidays are supposed to be about taking time aside from our busy work lives to enjoy whoever we are with and/or where ever we are.
- Honor tradition while remaining flexible – I love tradition as much as the next person (probably more) but I am not going to allow it to stop me from seeing new sights. It was a big decision to not spend Thanksgiving with our parents this year, but Will and I compromised by going up to see extended family. There are many ways to take traditions with you while traveling on vacation and it is important to you, try to incorporate those traditions while on the road.
JMF
Love your sweater!
You won’t believe me when I tell you where I bought it: Costco!