Written by: Heather Lee Dyer, Special Guest Writer and Executive Contributor
As the holiday season nears, stores fill with gift boxes, colorful decorations, and the ever-present Christmas music. Families deck their houses with strings of lights and their yards with air-filled giant reindeer and snowmen. As digital nomads traveling in the States, we can’t help but notice all this holiday cheer as we pass by neighborhoods or as we wander into stores to stock up on necessities.
Whether by choice or by circumstance, digital nomads sometimes find themselves away from loved ones on the holidays, which can bring up all sorts of emotions and expectations to the surface. Every store, truck stop, and small town decked in colored lights and tinsel reminds us that we’re not home amongst family and our comfortable childhood traditions.
Digital nomads are by necessity resilient and curious, so there are ways to make holidays alone interesting and fun no matter where we are.
Here are four ways digital nomads can make the best of the holidays
1. Self-care as priority
First, and one of my favorite ways to do a non-traditional holiday, is to pamper myself. The pandemic showed us how important self-care is, and for those who live on the road, this sometimes gets neglected. We shower in gyms or truck stops, and depending on what our nomadic life looks like, activities like massages, haircuts, doctor appointments, teeth cleaning, and getting our nails done can be difficult to do regularly.
Although most businesses are closed for the major holidays, many are still open. Although I’m not single anymore, I still live the digital nomadic life in a semi-truck with my husband. For Thanksgiving this past year, we ended up in Ft. Worth, Texas, while our families are in Idaho, California, Virginia, and Florida.
We discovered a Thai massage place with excellent ratings that was open that Thursday. We treated ourselves to a couples massage which was a relaxing way to spend the holiday and the start of a new tradition, I hope!
Once you know what city you’re going to be in, do some research and find open businesses that will pamper you for the day. It’s a great non-traditional way to spend the holiday, and your body will thank you!
2. Explore your bucket list
Another way to make the best of the holidays is to visit a new destination or participate in a new experience. Even if you’re living a nomadic life, there are places and activities that you may not have experienced yet, like visiting another country, going for a hike at Zion National Park, taking a train into New York City, or just sitting and relaxing on the white sandy beaches of Florida.
New experiences go a long way to making our holidays feel happy and bright. If you need some ideas of new places to visit as a solo traveler, I recommend visiting Gabby Beckford’s blog, Packslight at https://www.packslight.com/spending-christmas-alone/.
3. A new community
Big cities are always bustling and awake, so if you find yourself in a big city it should be easy to find a holiday parade, a special holiday movie showing, or opportunities to volunteer to feed the homeless or deliver gifts to needy families. Even finding a new hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is open for the holiday can be a great experience.
Smaller towns offer a quieter community adventure. You can drive around to take in all the houses decorated in lights, shop at the small businesses eager for tourists, and experience different cultures by meeting new people in the community.
Also, there are often holiday get-togethers for nomads with similar interests. Checking out groups on Meetup or Facebook could lead to fun holiday meetups across the country and form lifetime friendships.
4. Keep it simple
If you’re not in the mood to socialize or don’t have the means to do something big and exciting for the holiday, you can just keep it simple and stress-free by staying put in your vehicle. The day before the holiday buy yourself some fuzzy Christmas socks or special pajamas, and reserve takeout from your favorite restaurant to pick up on the day of the holiday. Many restaurants, although not open for business, do offer holiday meals to pick up.
The holidays can be a roller coaster of emotions and stress, and it’s all right to feel sad if you’re missing your family and friends. Acknowledge that your holiday won’t be traditional and embrace the very reasons you chose to be living out on the road: new experiences and adventures!
Heather Lee Dyer, Special Guest Writer and Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Heather Lee Dyer is an Author Success Coach and the award-winning author of several young adult science fiction and urban fantasy series, two creative non-fiction books, and contributes to several anthologies and online magazines. She is currently living out her dreams as a digital nomad traveling the lower 48 states with her husband in a sky-blue semi-truck.
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