If you’ve just moved over the summer or right before the holiday season starts, it can be hard to cope with your first holidays being away from family and your hometown. But there are some things you can do to help ease the pain of being far from family during the holiday season. Here are some tips for creating lasting memories and making the holidays enjoyable even after a big move.
If you can’t visit…
If you’re unable to visit your extended family after the big move, you can start your own traditions within your own family. Whether it’s creating a new Thanksgiving recipe, looking for amazing Christmas light displays in your new neighborhood, or getting the kids involved with decorating your home home, there are plenty of new traditions you can start.
Have a virtual visit:
You can also have a virtual visit with the rest of your family members. If everyone gets together for a big holiday party, or if you’re apart from someone you love for the first time, offer to have a phone or video call to make the distance feel less drastic. You’d be surprised just how much better you may feel getting to chat (even if it’s brief) with the ones you miss the most during what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.
If you can visit…
Make your attendance the gift:
If you’re able to visit but money is tight (as it typically can be during the holidays), make your attendance during the holidays the gift you’re giving to your family. Flights and gas can be expensive, and holiday travel can be draining, especially if you and your spouse have children to take care of. So go home for the holidays, but don’t worry about the expense of holiday gifts on top of the visit.
Switch off every other year:
After a big move, it can be overwhelming to think of traveling every holiday season. So you and your extended family can work out a schedule to switch off visiting each other every year. Maybe your parents or other extended family can visit you for your first holiday season in your new home, and you can travel to them the following year, or vise versa. Establishing this schedule can also allow you to look forward to the holidays instead of dreading them.
Overall, consider this a fresh start.
The holiday season can be a fresh start for all of us. So remember that your first holidays in your new home may be hard to cope with, exciting, or a full range of emotions in between, but they are also a time for togetherness and remembering what’s most important. And no matter what, the new year is just around the corner.
