The holiday season has really crept up on me. I still can't believe that Hanukkah is today, and Christmas is this Sunday. Now, if only I could convince family and friends that we celebrate Russian Orthodox Christmas (which is in January), I could buy myself some time in terms of holiday cards and greetings!
Some readers have asked for my holiday gift guide, since all the other bloggers seem to have one, but I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint–to the extent I've done any shopping at all (and it's been very little) it's been for the kids in my life: my son and relatives' kids. Perhaps some would accuse me of being anti-Christmas, but it's more accurate to say that I value incredible experiences and the people I share them with over material goods. I don't live in a fancy place, have a fancy car (definitely not missed, since it's New York City after all) and almost never buy new clothes for myself. But on the other hand, there are many luxuries I enjoy:
The Luxury of Family and Friends
I feel incredibly fortunate to have a loving small family, with my husband and son, and to have relatives and friends in New York and other places in the world that we are close to, even if we don't get to see them as often as we would like. There are so many people in the world that don't have this and either are, or feel, so terribly alone. Unfortunately these vital relationships seem to get so exploited for commercial purposes, with all kinds of messages to “buy xyz, then you'll feel loved by or close to your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/child” etc. Just look at some Tiffany or DeBeers diamond commercials if you don't believe me.
The Luxury of Good Health
Another cliche, and yet so true–and am reminded of it every time I get really ill. Since the hectic preparations, partying and travel during the holidays can do a number on your immune system, please take care of yourself and don't overextend. You may also want to check out our Tips for Staying Healthy When Flying, if your holiday travel involves flights. And long-term health is also inextricably intertwined with travel: there are so many incredible destinations that require you to be at a good fitness level to truly experience and enjoy them, so why not make your overall health, including enough sleep and staying fit, a key priority in the new year?
The Luxury of Good Food and Wine
Unless you've only read a few of my posts, you know by now that I enjoy good food and wine and trying new things wherever I go. Probably one of my favorite things in a new place is a trip to a local farmer's market and to local food shops to sample local specialties. And there's nothing like the holidays for creating a fun melange of traditions from the places I've lived in. The only problem is that there are too many competing cravings–for homemade German stollen filled with almond paste, for Norwegian glögg and pepperkaker, for British plum pudding with custard, for French foie gras with sauternes and marrons glacés, for Italian panettone, for Japanese Ozone (traditional New Year's soup) and more. Fortunately for my and my family's waist lines, unfortunately for our taste buds, I've been too busy to make these, but hopefully there will be some time this weekend. Also see our posts on more of our favorite Delicious Christmas Sweets and Desserts from Around the World and Our Must-Try Foods From Around the World
And if you also love good food but travel with a kid, don't resign yourself to fast food and family restaurants; take a peek at our 10 Tips for Fine Dining with Toddlers. This has been one of our more controversial posts (not unlike, say, the furor over Malaysia Airlines Banning Babies from First Class) but let's see how currently childless travelers feel about these topics once they have a kid in tow 🙂
The Luxury of Travel
So now we get to the headline–the luxury of travel. This, together with good food, is really where my family chooses to spend on luxury, and this is also why I founded TravelSort: to save travelers time and money on their luxury travel. For me personally, I get so much more enjoyment out of an amazing trip with family, especially if it involves visiting close friends or family, than anything I could buy as an article of clothing or something for the home. And now having a young son, that enjoyment gets magnified as I get to see his wonder or exhilaration with a new place or experience. If you have traveled so much that you're jaded, you just need a 3 or 4 year old to jolt you out of your cynicism (or at least make you too exhausted to be snarky!) If you are enjoying the luxury of travel with a toddler in tow, check out our Tips for Taking Toddlers on Long Plane Flights and also our Best Airlines for Kids and Families.
The Luxury of Not Traveling
And now the other part of the headline–there's also a luxury to *not* traveling. Now, I'm already pretty good at embodying, as Richard Feynman famously called one of his books, “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” Much to my husband's chagrin. But this does make it easier to (politely) decline to travel during Christmas, avoiding crazy airports, crowded planes and high fares. For a few years now, we've stayed home during Christmas, and I love it. We instead see relatives at other times of year, which are less hectic. Instead, we're looking forward to celebrating Christmas with close friends that live just a 10 minute walk away, and have a child similar in age to ours. Nice, low key, and not stressful at all 🙂
So what are my husband and I giving each other this Christmas? Nothing material…but rather, the luxury of travel: a couple of great trips next year, to Hawaii and First Class to Bali! (We are giving gifts to our son though–I think if would be unkind to deprive kids of a few presents, it's part of the magic of the holiday along with special family traditions).
What's your approach to the holidays? Is giving gifts a must to other adult family members and friends, or have you also found yourself focusing more on experiences as time goes on? And are you traveling for the holidays, or staying put?
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