Are you going to be traveling for the holidays? With the Coronavirus and stay-at-home orders (when will it end?), things have been so crazy, weird, and downright depressing this year. All everyone really wants to do is just be with their families whether they live close by or far away. Not everyone can be together or come home for the holidays. It can be an emotional time for so many people, especially now more than ever. Thank heavens we have the internet!
Most of my family lives in Oregon and the last time we saw them was at the very beginning of this year. It was so nice to get together and see my mom, dad, brothers, sisters, and their families! Times like those are few and far in between now. Ugh.
I have a dear friend who has family in Hyderabad and she is from Mumbai. She yearns to see her family this holiday season but won’t be able to due to everything going on this year. Even though there is a Mumbai to Hyderabad flight taking place, she doubts she would be able to go. This whole Coronavirus has so many people confused and worried. Don’t forget your passport and visa when you are traveling out of the country!
It’s also important to check if you need a rapid PCR test for traveling abroad since many countries now require a negative test result before you can enter. You can get these tests from many local providers, as well as with a private medical service that comes to your home for your appointment so you can focus on trip planning.
We were going to visit my sister in Idaho (she lives about 2 hours away from us), but at the last minute decided to wait until after the new year to see each other. Usually, traveling for the holidays is something so many people look forward to!
There are other ways though, to see family and stay up to date with them all. We do a lot of Facetiming and that is always so much fun to do! We also send tons of pictures and videos of the kids to my parents. They love seeing us as much as we love seeing them.
Life is just too short to not take the time to see and visit with loved ones. If anything, this pandemic has certainly taught me that family is SO important and life goes by quickly!
More fun ways you can connect with family members this holiday season are:
*Facetime, Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts to connect with family and friends
*Create online photo books and share them with family and friends
*Create a Facebook group for just close family and stay up to date with them
*Write letters and mail them to family and friends
*Plan a lunch date with your family, virtually!
*Play fun family games while using Zoom or Facetime
*Watch movies with friends and family by using Teleparty (Netflix)
*Use Marco Polo! This is a fun way to stay connected to family and friends! This is a mixture of Facetiming and texting! My sisters and I use Marco Polo every day!
*Call them! Pick up that phone and chat!
*Send a care package. I have sent quite a few care packages to friends who were feeling down and sad. It really is a great way to show the people you love how much you really care!
As you can see, there are plenty of fun ways to stay connected with family and friends during this uncertain time. Whether you are physically traveling for the holidays or just staying home, you can still share the holiday fun with everyone you love! No need to miss out on anything!
What are your plans for the holidays? Are you staying home or traveling to visit family and friends? What sort of festivities do you have planned? Leave a comment below, I would love to know!