Holiday travel reached a record high last year, with AAA estimating that 103 million Americans traveled for year-end holidays, an increase of 1.5 million people from 2015. Holiday travel can be fun, but planning arrangements and meeting deadlines can also be stressful and distract you from the spirit of the season. Here are four things you can do to stay in a spirit of holiday cheer while traveling this season.
Bring Some Holiday-Themed Entertainment
One way to stay in the spirit of the season is to bring along some holiday-themed entertainment. If you’re subscribed to a music service such as Pandora or Spotify, you can put on some holiday music on your headphones or car radio. If you don’t have a streaming music subscription, you can find free Christmas music downloads from Amazon and other sources.
Holiday-themed audiobooks are another great option. Sites such as YouTube and Librivox have tons of free audiobooks in every genre. If you’re riding as a passenger or flying, taking along a physical book is another option.
Store Family Photos on the Cloud
Another way to stay focused on the holidays is to bring along a mobile device you and your loved ones can use to view family photos on the cloud. Upload photos from previous holidays and other family events to share the memories. You can also upload videos to the cloud for viewing and sharing. If you’re creative, you can even make slideshows to tell your own family’s holiday story.
Many cloud storage services such as iCloud, Google Drive and Dropbox offer a few GB of free online storage space, with additional space if you pay a premium fee. These types of services are also great for storing and backing up any new holiday photos you take so they don’t get lost.
Visit Holiday Attractions at Your Destination
Another way to stay in a seasonal mood as you travel is to visit holiday attractions at your destination. Most areas have local churches that may have a Native Service or other activities such as caroling or choir performances, and large urban areas may have large historic churches and cathedrals open to touring.
You can also find seasonal activities at most malls during the holidays, such as Santa Claus appearances and Christmas displays. If the mall has a movie theater or there’s another theater nearby, taking the family to see a holiday film release is another option.
Pack Portable Decorations, Treats and Cards
You can also pack portable items to bring the holiday with you as you travel. Carrying a small bag of holiday treats such as candy kisses, cookies or pretzel treats can be a tasty reminder of the season. Taking along some gum can also keep your ears from popping if you’re flying.
If you’re going to visit a relative, you might pack an easy-to-carry decoration such as a Christmas wreath to present as a holiday gift. Whether it’s faux or fresh, a wreath is an easy way to bring holiday cheer with you wherever you end up. You can also decorate yourself by wearing a holiday hat or sweater. Christmas cards are another item that’s easy to pack that can help you spread holiday cheer when you arrive at your destination.
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