Tag: Time Of Year

How to decide when to travel

Travel offers some of the most fantastic opportunities and experiences in life. However, so many decisions need to be made regarding when to travel. Initially the “when to travel” question made me think about the best time of year to travel, however, consider some other factors; the best time in “life” to travel, and the options during the week or even during the day. If you stop to think about all the choices you have, the decision of when to travel becomes a complex one.

In life

The decision of when to travel is usually dictated by your parents until you are old enough to pay your own costs. After that, throughout life, travel will become only possible when you can afford it, or are willing to work & travel. There are so many decisions to be made throughout life as to when you can or should travel. Do you travel Pre College or University in a gap year, for your honeymoon, and do you utilize breaks from work to travel. For some, having children becomes a barrier to travel, and here the decision to be made is whether to try traveling with kids or to wait until they have flown the nest. Many people put off traveling extensively until they reach retirement; at this point they have the time to travel at their convenience and are aware of their financial situation with regards to paying for the trips.

I myself traveled from the minute I left home, working as I went. Once I had the travel bug I found a way to travel regardless of the funds available. My parents, just retired are now seeing the world and traveling permanently. Travel increases knowledge, skills, and understanding of the world, as such I believe it should be embraced whenever possible throughout life.

In the year

Deciding when to travel during the year may be affected by weather, costs, school holiday limitations or time off from work. When a destination has been chosen for a vacation, the weather and its affect on the type of holiday you are interested in should be an important consideration. In some countries, hurricane or monsoon season will preclude travel at that time of year. If you are booking a ski holiday you are limited to when snow is on the ground! Beach holidays should ideally be taken when the weather is warm. Of course there is always the opportunity to decide when you want to travel and then find somewhere that meets your weather requirements. This is often the need for those in employment that is of a seasonal nature and time cannot be taken away from work except at

More stress than sincerity: Should we reconsider the way we celebrate holidays

Some of us probably should reconsider how we celebrate the holidays. But most of us will not. We will probably get caught up in the pace of the season. It’s a love hate cycle that begins the day after Thanksgiving. It goes back to the first time we sat on Santa’s lap and we asked him for all the things we wanted for Christmas. From that moment on, we knew that the holidays would always be special.

Our childhood memories add to the excitement and the fun and joy of the holiday season. It disrupts the rhythm of our ordinary days. It can be a pleasant reprieve from the demands and expectations of our daily lives. It does however kick us into an even higher gear. A pace that can give us overwhelming fatigue if we do not take control. After all it’s the holidays. The understood excuse for jovial celebrations. Often too many of us will feel overwhelming stress.

Every year we say “its too much of everything I can’t wait until the holidays are over ”

Yet, we appear to thrive on the chaos, the stress, and the shopping for that perfect gift. Most of us will enjoy decorating the house and planning or attending a holiday gathering with friends or family. The special foods we prepare for our loved ones and friends keeps us busy and yes if we admit it, sometimes stressed. Maybe this is not the most sincere expression of our love.

Much can be learned from the most humble of homes, where this celebration can be something that provides the opportunity to come together to celebrate. To prepare for and enjoy the spirit of the holidays. Is this the common denominator of all people from around the world ? It need not be extravagant to be beautiful. Simple candles and religious hymns and holiday music is the ultimate ambiance for this special time of year. It is about the faiths of many people who celebrate holidays this time of year.

Attending our worship services , singing carols, making cookies and sending cards to friends is part of it all. It is the busiest of seasons and sometimes the best. There are many who start shopping earlier during the year. This can lessen some stress. There are some of us who love the last minute excitement, it is part of the thrill and the fun. Some shoppers say that is when they get the best buys.

If you were to reconsider how you want to spend your holidays. You would most likely agree that it is about having just “a little something,” like homemade cookies to give to your good neighbor or to your best friend. That is the holiday feeling and what it is all about.

For others they may decide to take a cruise or a vacation instead.

The joy of sharing and celebrating holidays is our gift to one another. We need to have the holidays in our lives. Some of us need to invite others to join us in our celebrations.