How To Enjoy The Holidays When You Are Away From Family

The holiday season will soon be here and I am super excited. I love the holidays, and I am so ready for some cozy drinks, big sweaters, and snow. One of my favourite parts of the holidays is getting to enjoy some time with my family and friends, which is why I make sure that I am always home for Christmas. *singing* home for the holidays, it just wouldn’t be Christmas, if I was away. *drops mic*. There is just something about being home for the holidays that really makes the season magical.

When you are travelling or living far from your family, I know that that it is not always possible for everyone to make it home for Christmas. And with the COVID-19 pandemic still going on, I have feeling that this year a lot of people might not be able to get home for Christmas. Which is why I asked some of my travel blogger friends to help me come up with some awesome tips to help you enjoy the holidays when you are away from family. Grab a cup of cocoa and keep reading to have the best holiday season even when you are far from family.

Holiday Pep Talk From Cass

As I mentioned above, I have never been away from home during Christmas. But I have spent a lot of other holidays abroad. Usually, when I spend a holiday like Thanksgiving, Halloween, Easter, etc, away from home I am celebrating it with friends somewhere around the world. However, last Thanksgiving, I had just moved to Victoria from Tofino, so I didn’t have any friends to hang out with.

I thought that if I bought a pumpkin pie, and ordered some take out that I would be fine, but as it got closer to Thanksgiving, I started to get more and more homesick. (Also, for the record this was the first time in my life I have been homesick.) I just would come home from work and remember all the Thanksgivings I had with my family and the friends giving I had with my friends, and I just felt so lonely and sad.

However, when Thanksgiving finally came, I was pleasantly surprised with some Thanksgiving miracles, that made me realize that even though I felt lonely, I wasn’t alone. My roommate, who I had just met the week before, surprised me and the house with a full turkey meal, and it was delicious. We all had a lovely time eating and getting to know one another more. I also got to Facetime my family and got to chat with some of my best friends from around the world. I ended the night with eating pumkin pie in bed and watching harry potter. It wasn’t the Thanksgiving that I was used to, but despite being homesick, it turn out to be rather lovely

I am sharing this story with you because I hope it encourages you this holiday season. Maybe this year the holiday season will look a little different for you. But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t have a jolly holiday. Use these tips below and try your best to make the most of it. Maybe you will feel sad and lonely this year. But don’t let that make you think that you are alone. Just because you don’t have people around you doesn’t mean you don’t have people in your life who love and care for you. If you need someone to talk to this holiday season add me on Instagram and send me a DM, I love to talk!

5 Tips To Enjoy The Holidays When You Are Away From Family From Travel Bloggers

1. Start Your Own Traditions

Our first tip comes from travel writer, Jessica from Jessica Pascoe. “My husband and I moved to Sydney from the UK nearly 3 years ago, and whilst we’ve been so happy here, it has meant a few holidays without our loved ones. My top tip to still enjoy this festive period is to find and start your own beautiful memories and traditions, which really helps you appreciate where you are. There’s a beach at the northern-most point of Sydney, Palm Beach, with a lovely café looking over the water – it’s become our Christmas eve tradition to visit for a celebratory brunch before a day on the beach, and this year I can’t wait to share this tradition with our newborn baby.”

Check out Jessica’s blog, Jessica Pascoe, and connect with her on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

2. Enjoy Time With Other Travellers Who Are Away From Home

If you are spending the holidays alone abroad, check out Rachel from Average Lives’ advice. “One of the best things you can do is to spend the holidays with other travellers who are in the same position as you.  This is a great option because you’ll have a shared nostalgia for being away from home and it’s comforting to know that you’re not alone.

What’s more, it will probably make you appreciate and understand different countries’ holiday traditions. What a lovely and unique opportunity to share stories about what holidays are like in each other’s countries and to cook different holiday meals.  After all, what’s better than proudly sharing lots of different food and stories from across the world?  It will be unforgettable.”

Check out Rachel’s blog, Average Lives, and connect with her on Instagram and other social platforms @average_lives.

3. Cross Something Off Your Bucket List

Feeling blue this holiday season? follow Agnes from Travel On The Reg’s advice and go on an adventure. “When you can’t be with family over the holidays, it’s a lot easier to get into the holiday spirit when you’re doing something off of your bucket list.

My husband and I usually travel over Thanksgiving or Christmas, one or the other. One Christmas we decided to head to Thailand for two weeks, a mix of time at the beach, temple-hopping in Bangkok, and in the jungles of Chiang Mai. It was in Chiang Mai that we had our Christmas Day bucket list experience: visiting an elephant sanctuary where we were able to spend the day with the elephants, including washing them in the river.

We commemorated the day by buying everyone back home “elephant pants,” the loose-fitting pyjama type pants you see for sale outside of temples throughout Thailand. It made for a unique and special Christmas gift for our nieces and nephew, who have since adopted them as their new pyjamas, and a reminder of a great holiday memory.”

Check out Agnes’ blog Travel On The Reg, and connect with her on Instagram

4. Go Out For A Holiday Meal

Where are my foodies at?! Taylor from Rich Living, Less Spending, has the best advice that will help you enjoy a holiday meal without the dishes! #yesplease

“When it comes to holiday time, food is the first thing that comes to mind… ok… it’s a close tie with family. We’ve spent many holidays away from our family, but we always keep one thing consistent – our holiday meals. Thanksgiving turkey roasting, tangy Christmas pies baking, and sweet candies melting in our mouths immediately transport us to our favorite holiday memories. 

So, when our family is spread across the world for holidays, we plan our own holiday feast by splurging on a nice dinner out. No dishes and no cooking is the way to go when you’re on your own, but you won’t be the only one who thinks this way. If you’ll be eating out for the holidays, make a reservation far ahead of time and ask for their holiday menu. Some restaurants close early and others don’t take reservations because of high demand. If you’re traveling abroad, ask some locals which restaurants have the best holiday meals. You just might be surprised by the Italian restaurant serving a delicious American Thanksgiving feast on the coast of Mexico.”

Check out Taylor’s blog, Rich Living, Less Spending and connect with her on Instagram.

5. Pack Your Favourite Ingredients From Home

If you aren’t feeling like going out for a holiday meal, listen to Sheryl, from Rolling Bear Travel and pack the meal with you! “Food is emotion (spoken like a true foodie, I know, but please hear me out!) 

Every holiday, there is bound to be some particular dish every family would make to celebrate the season. So, the biggest tip I have for re-creating that holiday joy away from family is to bring along ingredients from home required for your favourite, traditional dishes! 

Get that music playing, get chopping and get cooking! And you could even get fancy with table decorations, and invite friends over to share this meal with you! I’ve spent six New Years abroad. Traditionally, we’d have a steamboat or potluck of some sort to celebrate the reunion of family. Instead, my friends and I each contributed something from our stash, and made our own hotpot in our tiny apartment kitchen.

Cooking together was so fun – so was inviting other friends over to enjoy it with us. I’ll always remember those nights of laughter, excited greetings at the door, washing up together, fighting for food, and game night after. Once, we were craving for Baileys Hot Chocolate, but had to make do with Milo instead from my friend’s stash! This was particularly poignant to us, because Milo is such a huge comfort drink from home. 

Food is amazing- it truly brings people together and was what helped create a second home for us, miles away from family.”

Check out Sheryl’s blog Rolling Bear Travel, and connect with her on Instagram and Pinterest.

Quick Tips To Enjoy The Holidays When You Are Away From Family From Cass

There you have it. 5 awesome tips from 5 awesome women! Here are a few more tips that can help you have a holly, jolly Christmas anywhere in the world. For more tips to help you love life during the holidays check out my blog post.

• Watch holiday movies! There is nothing like a cup of hot chocolate and a Christmas movie. Pull out some classics like Rudolph, The Grinch, and Love Actually or watch some cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies.
• Listen to Christmas music! The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Blast your beats and sing the carols.
• Decorate! If you are feeling blue, put up some decorations. Pull out the tree, stockings and lights and make your house look like Santa’s workshop. Even if you get a mini tree from the dollar store, it can still help to cheer you up.
• Bake! As some of the girls mentioned above, food is such a huge part of the holidays. Find your mom’s famous cookie recipe, or check out one of these healthier holiday dessert options and bake your little heart out.
• Give! Christmas is the season to give, and giving back to others can help to make us feel good. You can volunteer a few hours at a charity, send gifts to a family in need, or donate cash to a non-profit.
• Go see Santa! Ok this may sound silly, and I’m not saying you have to go sit on his lap, but just walking past Santa at the mall can make you feel good. Seeing Santa just makes you feel happier, it’s scientific.

I hope these tips help you to enjoy the holiday season no matter where in the world you are. Do you have another tip that you would like to share with me and the world? Share it in the comments. Remember even if your feeling lonely, know that you are not alone. You are loved and cared for, and you will still have a magical holiday season.

I love you so much,