Family Holiday Travel… or Nah? | Mom Monday
Via emails, texts, phone calls and one in person visit with my sister this week has encompassed one topic: what is my family doing about family holiday travel this year? Are we home for the holidays— or nah? A new survey from had some interesting results about traveling during the holidays.
Last year was a typical holiday season for us: we tend to?travel to see family for one of the major holidays, but stay home for the other.
We love our family, but there is a point where hauling 6 of us all over the country gets too costly.
Not to mention vacation time restrictions and, well, holidays getting “too people-y” for comfort. I love you, fam, I swear!
Last year we were also in the middle of a big move, which meant our Christmas was a bit abbreviated.
This year we made the call about family holiday travel early. We’re staying home.
The east coast poses a few more challenges for travel to our Texas and west coast families and decisions had to be made.
My blog travel slows down in November and December, only to ramp up again in January so I’m going to take the opportunity to stay home and get some projects accomplished here.
I hope, anyway!
The Hollidays are Home for the Holidays.
I won’t lie- I will be missing my whole big crazy family something fierce!
But we’ll try to catch up in the spring or summer as school schedules allow.
It looks like I’m not alone.
According to a holiday travel survey 26% of respondents are also choosing to stay home for the holidays this year- or vacationing without extended family.
About a third of the survey respondents are sticking with tradition and plan to see mom & dad back home. About 24 percent will host the family (bless them… bless them ALL).
The remaining?17% is probably the smartest ones out there: meeting family in a neutral location rather than invading each other’s homes.
This is how I’d like to vacation with family in the future: let’s meet up (say at Disney World oron a Disney Cruise, perhaps?) and holiday in someone else’s backyard.
No one stuck doing the dishes or feeling the pressure to decorate “just so!”.
Though I am pretty proud of my decorations from last year. Ha!
I’ll do better this year, kids, I promise!
The survey also pointed out that many people in this modern world aren’t celebrating on the actual holiday anymore.
33% say ?remarriages, demanding in-laws, and/or large families mean we juggle multiple gatherings and commitments.?
Another 23 percent blame work.
Which I totally get as someone who used to answer phones during the holidays at the American Cancer Society.? ?Work schedules and conflicting commitments mean we celebrate the holiday on a different day.?
Fair enough. We’re actually having my parents come visit in January for my son’s birthday and pseudo-Christmas. It just worked out better for everyone’s schedules this year.
You can check out the rest of the survey here.
What about your family? How does family holiday travel look for your crew?
Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
