Traveling the Road Less Traveled at the Holidays

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At Christmas time, the mall near our old house gets crazy busy.  The streets get so jam packed that the police have to direct traffic at all the major intersections in the area.  I hated it!  It didn’t take me long to find a back way to the mall that allowed me to avoid the traffic.  Suddenly, the thing I hated the most about the holiday season disappeared.  What annoyances make the holidays stressful for you?  Let me show you how traveling the road less traveled at the holidays can make your season merrier. 

Holiday Annoyance #1:  Traffic

Sitting in traffic drives me crazy, especially when I am close enough to see my destination.  Sometimes, however, dealing with traffic seems inevitable.  But, it doesn’t have to be. 

Road Less Traveled

Avoid traffic jams by traveling the road less traveled.  Try taking a back road that will get you where you’re going without all the delays.  Cut through a neighborhood to avoid that intersection that is always backed up.  Find another store location in a less populated area instead of going to the one on the busy street.

Holiday Annoyance #2:  Crowds

For some people, dealing with crowds is the biggest holiday annoyance.  It seems like everywhere you go during the month of December there are crowds.  Standing in lines and navigating through an endless wall of people can suck the fun out of the most festive occasions.

Road Less Traveled

One solution to beat the crowds is to arrive early. Try to be the first person there for everything.  If you arrive before Santa starts visiting with kids, your kids can be first in line and you can avoid wasting time waiting in line.  To avoid the crowds in the stores, take a morning off and do your shopping while everyone else is heading to the office.     

Holiday Annoyance #3:  Wrapping

Some people find gift wrapping to be the biggest pain of the holiday season.  My mother-in-law falls into this category.  She finds wrapping to be a tedious task that she would rather just avoid. 

Road Less Traveled

If you hate wrapping gifts, find a friend or relative that enjoys it and trade jobs.  I don’t mind wrapping, so I usually wrap my mother-in-law’s gifts while she entertains my son.  It is a win-win for us both.  She gets to trade a job she hates for fun grandma time, and I get an excuse to sit and watch Christmas movies.    

Holiday Annoyance #4:  Parties

Christmas is a time of endless parties.  But for introverts, these parties are more of a hassle than entertainment.  Yet, sometimes, you can’t get out of attending these parties. 

Road Less Traveled

There is no law that says you have to attend every party you are invited to.  If holiday parties are not your cup of tea, only attend the ones you absolutely must.  Say no to the rest of the invitations.  For those parties, you have to go to, make a brief appearance and then sneak out early.  Or, have an excuse ready for an early exit once you have hit your limit. 

Holiday Annoyance #5:  Cooking

I know people who love doing all of the holiday baking and cooking. I also know people who see it as a monumental chore.  But, you don’t have to let your hatred of cooking ruin your Christmas spirit.

Road Less Traveled

If you don’t want to spend your time in the kitchen, then don’t.  Let those relatives who love to cook take over the preparation of the family feast while you focus on other tasks that you do enjoy.  For instance, offer to clean up the kitchen if your sister will do the cooking.  If no one in the family likes to cook, then order take out and call it good.  For Christmas dinner at my mother-in-law’s house, we always order fajitas from a local restaurant.  We all enjoy our time together without anyone having to cook.

Holiday Annoyance #6:  Shopping

Christmas shopping is another task that can be a drain on the holiday cheer.  Giving gifts is wonderful except for the shopping part.  Believe it or not, there are ways around this chore too. 

Road Less Traveled

If you hate to shop during the holidays, try doing your gift buying a little at a time throughout the year so you won’t have to do it all at once.  Another solution is to shop online from the comfort of your home and have it all delivered.  Another option is to find a personal shopper who can do it for you. 

Holiday Annoyance #7:  Decorating

The last thing on the list of common holiday annoyances is decorating.  Some people find this to be such a waste of time.  You don’t have to spend your time decorating if it doesn’t appeal to you. 

Road Less Traveled

If you don’t like decorating, then don’t worry about it.  You don’t have to go all out just because it is expected.  Take a minimalistic approach and just putting up a small tree and stockings.  Have your kids or grandkids decorate the tree.  Or get a relative or friend to decorate your place for you. 

Conclusion

The holidays are a time for spending time with those we love.  Yet, sometimes we can get overwhelmed with all of the things we feel we must do to make the season special.  At times, the to-do list can take all the fun out of celebrating.  Don’t let the chores of the holidays get you down.  For every annoyance, there is a road less traveled that will lead to merrier times for you and your family.  For more ways to make the holidays more fun, read skip the holidays and travel instead.  For tips on making travel easier, see my tips for stress-free travel with your spouse and kids.  Happy travels! 

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