Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Travel Tuesday - Avoiding the Holidays


Under the best of circumstances traveling at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years is unpleasant and expensive.  When my parents were still alive I would generally go to Florida for Thanksgiving, sometimes I drove, sometimes I flew.  We tried to avoid flying at Christmas, it was always crowded and expensive.  We did it a few times.  For a few years we drove to Cleveland to see Jay's mother.  

My general advice for holiday travel is simple, DON'T DO IT.  Go earlier, go later.  Stay home and enjoy a quiet stress free holiday.  Call, video call, don't feel guilty about not being there.  Quality time in late January, beats rushed crowded, stressed time at the holidays.  Last year I wrote about stressful holidays and weird family dynamics.  I don't think I am alone, likely I am one of the few that is willing to admit that holidays home with just the two of us, are much more pleasant and fun.  And shouldn't this time of the year be about happiness and fun? 

My holiday travel adventures included, Thanksgiving at Chicago O'Hare a burger and fries in a sports bar.  A weather related overnight  stay in Atlanta.  A plane delayed due to a collision with a baggage conveyor, the plane flew with a dent in the side (and I was glad to get home.) A check-in melt down at CDG in Paris that resulted in being almost the last one to board.   

There is no place like home for the holidays.  And that is were I suggest you spend the holidays, wherever you call home. If you travel over the holidays, don't say you weren't warned that it might be miserable. 



14 comments:

  1. I have never traveled for the holidays. I have always been with family within a three-hour drive. I don't want all that added stress.

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    1. Flying is freighenting at this time of the year

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  2. Good advice. You used to drive between New York and Connecticut for Thanksgiving. Not fun.

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    1. I avoid anything I 95 for a few days

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  3. Anonymous12/21/2021

    Our Christmas Day will be spent stuck in crawling traffic on our way to my brother's for a family get together. We know what to expect and allow time.

    I don't think flying is a problem here at Christmas, travel restrictions not withstanding but maybe I am naïve.

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    1. I probably won't drive more than 2-3 miles

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  4. We have rarely traveled for the holidays, maybe Thanksgiving once or twice, but it always seems more bother than pleasure.

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  5. I plan to do exactly that. I do need to drive across town tomorrow evening (which I am dreading) but that is all. Home is the best place to be.

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  6. I agree 1000%. We don't travel for Christmas and love our Christmas Eves/Days home alone, just the two of us and the dogs. I can't imagine spending them any other way.

    Sassybear
    www.idleeyesandadormy.com

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