All of my Christmas decorations fit into a shoe box, and I didn’t even pull that out this year.
For years, I held on to traditions that no longer fit our full-time RV lifestyle. And the new traditions don’t need to be traditions at all. Every year, we can be in a new location, see new things, eat new foods, and meet great people.
We paid thousands of dollars for storage and moving expenses over the past 25 years, hauling around what we thought we could not live without.
Guess what? We can. And we can live better without the burden.
Everything about the holidays has changed for us. Our gift giving and receiving, how we decorate, where we go, and what we do.
The season is more about having experiences with family and friends, so I no longer shop and wrap myself to exhaustion.
It took a while, but the family now understands that we value experiences instead of stuff.
Photos of explorations replace gadgets and last minute “have to buy a gift”, gifts. Memories fill the heart so much more than an air fryer.
Holiday parties (mainly potlucks) are now attended instead of hosted. We travel to see family, or they come to us wherever we are, to have a little adventure.
I no longer need to hang and store decorations. Instead, we take evening walks around the RV Park or enjoy the professional scenes provided by local communities.
Last week, we attended Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Tucked within the desert landscape were world-class musicians, carolers, bell ringers, and, of course, hot beverages and snacks.
When I do buy gifts, it is from local artists, which is where that image above comes from.
Before we went to the Gardens, we enjoyed a little dinner at a local restaurant. This poet, Kevin Devaney, was set up on the sidewalk in Old Town Scottsdale. He uses antique typewriters to make tiny poetry books. Four of them fit into a matchbox that he creates by hand.
I bought one to add to my Christmas shoebox.
Next week we fly to spend Christmas with family. But there will be no packages in our luggage, only plans for adventure in the new year.
This lifestyle allows us to experience the different cultures that change with the landscape. And share those experiences with those we love.
So, if you ask me if I miss having the house and the traditional holiday, I would have to say no.
