For close to 20 years, my family’s tradition was to travel somewhere new and exciting/exotic for Christmas. For me, this traveling began with a hop over to Australia with a spectacular stop in Hawaii when I was just five years old (crikey!). Despite the fact this specific trip was taken during the waning weeks of summer, this type of traveling was the template for all future Christmas adventures. Spinning a globe and stopping it with a finger to reveal our next destination was not that far off for my parents. While the planning was a tad bit more formal than that, the spirit wasn’t. The mantra in my household regarding traveling was, “why not!?” As in, “why not take a trip around the world in a couple weeks?”

True story.

In total, I’ve been very blessed to have traveled to 39 countries, all 7 continents and at least 30 states. And one of the best memories from these trips was the freedom to act however I wanted. By this I mean to let loose and not worry about what anyone else thought. I could reinvent myself in a sublime setting with fun people and experiences all around me. When was I going to see these people again? Literally, never. From the hotel staffs to our fellow guests, they all felt and acted the same way.

It was a beautiful thing.

Speaking of getting into the spirit of the holidays, the following video clip from Adam Sandler’s movie, Blended so wonderfully portrays that amazing dynamic of traveling to far off places: happily dancing without a care in the world.

Whether it was attending an awe-inspiring church service in a European capital or relaxing on a beach in Bali, Christmas Eve has always been a time for reflection and celebration. Even though these family trips have halted (marriages and little children), the memories will endure forever. It’s really special to recall all these family trips this time of year as one collective memory reel.

In other words, one blended reminiscence of the magic of family vacations at Christmas.