2023 Travel Resoutions

Somehow, 2022 has been both back to normal and not at all normal, but we were able to get out and travel more than the last two years combined, so I won't complain. We went to Arizona in January, Vegas in both February and July, and made it to Paris and Disneyland Paris in September. All in all, it was a pretty good year. 

We're sort of back to in-person brunches, though they are further between than they were pre-pandemic, because a lot of the restaurants that were are old stand-bys have closed or are no longer taking large reservations. Many other restaurants stopped doing breakfast altogether, so we have fewer options, but we're trying, and supplementing with other meet-ups, like going to art pop-ups and walking neighborhoods.

We are also back to doing small gatherings for celebrations, like our annual Harry Potter party and birthdays, and our non-profit has, officially, kicked off our return to big fundraisers, which is fantastic, because we're doing good, getting to see people again, and we're doing our best to be safe about it. 

This coming year is going to be interesting and busier than the last three. We don't have a ton planned, but I know more is coming to our calendar:

• January sees us in Palm Springs for a week.
• March may have us heading to Los Angeles for a few days.
• If my mom goes back to Tennessee this year, I may tag along and make her do some Nashville sightseeing before coming back home.
• Las Vegas is a tentative for July.
• Late September/early October will have us heading to Toronto and Niagara Falls. I'll keep working on my French for this, in case it comes in handy.
• I will try to do more Destination Date Nights, like I wanted to do this year, but ended up with too full of a calendar to do very many. 
• We may try to get back to doing Destination Potlucks, too, since we only did the one and then the world shut down. We'll see how interested my friends are in reviving these and we might intersperse these with Date Nights.

The Travel Goods Show has made a permanent move to Chicago and I'm not sure I'm able to get over there this year, which is disappointing, but not unexpected. I've wanted to visit the Travelon headquarters for years. I guess I'll have to see it in 2024.

In 2024, we're also talking about going to The Island of Hawaii in January and Eric also mentioned perhaps going to Peru, so he could brush up on his Spanish, and probably see cool stuff like Machu Picchu. 

All in all, 2023 is shaping up to be a great year. I can't wait to visit new places, make new friends, eat great food, and plan some awesome parties. 

What are you looking forward to for this next year?

Happy Holidays 2022

I may be spending the day with friends and family, but I still want to wish you a happy holidays. No matter what you celebrate, or don't celebrate anything, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah

Joyous Kwanzaa

Jubilant Yule

You gotta do something with your 12' tall skeleton investment :)

My dog was a lovely sport and sat pretty with my tree for this seasonal picture and she got a yummy treat for doing it in this giant, ridiculous bow.

The other week, I hit up a new pagan shop where I got to meet their holiday skeleton (top picture) and Krampus. I feel like he doesn't get enough attention and I propose we bring back more folkloric holiday figures, like Mari Lwyd, Belsnickle, and Yule Cat. Learn more about some here.

While there, I admired their Yule tree with Krampus, lunar, witch, and blessing ornaments. They also had a great selection of solstice and winter legends, traditions, and lore books. 

Learn a little bit of language for your future travels here. This is how you say Happy Holidays in other languages:

French: Joyeuses Fêtes!

Spanish: Felices Fiestas!

Vietnamese: Hạnh phúc ngày lễ

Chinese: 節日快樂 (Jiérì kuàilè)

Filipino: Masaya pista opisyal

Irish: Laethanta saoire sona

Swedish: Trevlig Helg!

Portuguese: Boas Festas!

Turkish: Mutlu Bayramlar!

Romanian: Sarbatori Fericite!

Korean: 행복 휴일 (haengbog hyuil)

Slovenian: Vesele Praznike

Indonesian: Selamat Hari Raya!

Croatian: Sretni praznici!

Hungarian: Boldog Ünnepeket

Greek: Καλές δικακοπές! (kales diakopes)

Danish: Glade feriedage

Albanian: Gëzuar Festat

Mandarin: Jie Ri Yu Kuai

Catalan: Bones Festes!

Latin: Felix feriarum

Swahili: Furaha likizo

Japanese: 幸せな休日 (Shiawasena kyūjitsu)

Hebrew: חג שמח (khag saméakh)

Italian: Buone Feste!

South African (Xhose): Ii holide eximnandi

German: Forhe Feiertage

Dutch: Prettige feestdagen

Hawaiian: Hau’oli Lanui

Gaelic: Beannachtaí na Féile

If you want to learn how to wish other a Merry Christmas or Happy New Year in other languages, check out Babbel, and if you need a last-minute gift, you can save up to 60% off a lifetime subscription. 

Enjoy your weekend, however you spend it. If you need to air your grievances, please feel free to do so in the comments.

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Last-Minute Holiday Travel Tips

If you're traveling this week, I wish you good luck. I'm sticking close to home until after the new year, but we've traveled quite a bit during this time and it can be pretty hectic and stressful. Let's make the most of your time getting through the airport, packing, or setting out on a road trip with some of these tips. 

Pack light

I know it's winter and you need some sweaters and a jacket and maybe boots, but that doesn't mean you have to take a giant bag. If you've been proactive, you've already either brought small gifts that fit in your carry-on/personal item or shipped them ahead. That means you can strategically pack the rest of your carry-on. Pack two pair of pants and a sweater you can wear with everything, so you can layer. If it's going to be really cold, base layers are not bulky and they insulate you really well. The new long johns are very thin and very warm.. 

Take along 3 or 4 long sleeve shirts and wear your coat on the plane. You can always use it as a blanket, pillow, or stuff it under the seat. Wear your boots on the plane as well and pack a pair of more casual shoes. 

Get there early

If the airport is in your future, make sure you leave plenty of time to get there before your flight. I usually say 1 1/2-2 hours for domestic flights, but with holiday traffic and everything else, 3 hours is a better idea for this time of year. Winter weather, everyone traveling, and long security lines can all conspire against you right now. Packing light will also help you save time here, because you won't also have to stand in line to check your bag.

Go left

If you're not lucky enough to have PreCheck or Global Entry, then you're going to have to suck it up and wait in the interminable lines. Download the TSA app, which will tell you what kind of wait you'll be looking at, but also, make sure you're prepared for everything you need to do. Keep your laptop/electronics and bag of liquids easy to take out of your carry-on, empty your pockets into an outside pocket of your bag, or put them into a zip-top bag to toss in a bin. 

Once you get near the front and everyone is split into other lines for conveyors and x-ray machines, head left if you can, because almost everyone either goes straight or right, meaning the left lines are usually quicker and have fewer families and elderly slowing things up.

Prep your car

If you're road tripping to your destination, you have more flexibility with packing, but you'll need to do a little prepping otherwise. Hopefully, you've gotten maintenance done on your car by now, and checked all the tire pressure and your spare. On top of that, you'll want to make sure you have your roadside assistance number on-hand, an emergency roadside kit, and a back-up battery for your phone. Carry chains if you're going through snowy terrain and if you have one of those plug-in jumper batteries, charge it up before you leave.

Travel during the low times

Believe it or not, there are better times to travel during the holidays. Sure, it seems like they're all bad and annoying, but there are actually optimum times. 

The best time to travel during the holiday season, AAA reported, is before 2 p.m. and after 8 p.m. on Dec. 23; before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on Dec. 24; before noon and after 7 p.m. on Dec. 26; before 2 p.m. and after 8 p.m. Dec. 27-30; and before 3 p.m. and after 8 p.m. on Jan. 2. The absolute best times to travel are on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.

The worst time to travel during the holiday season is between 4 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 23; between noon and 6 p.m. on Dec. 24; between 2 and 6 p.m. on Dec. 26; between 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 27-30; and between 4 and 7 p.m. on Jan. 2, according to the report.

Keep your chill

Above all, remember that everyone is stressed and trying to get through this holiday season. Things will probably go wrong, but freaking out or being a jerk about it isn't going to help anyone. People have to work during this harried time and are getting abuse from all sides. Try not to add to it. The holidays can be hard for a lot of people, too, so give people some slack. Try to be extra kind. It costs you nothing, and makes you feel better about things, too.

I hope you all have a great holiday, or weekend if you don't celebrate, or at least a gentle one, if that's what you need. Share a favorite holiday memory with us all.