When most of us think of the holidays, we picture spending them with family — and that’s exactly what my husband and I did for over 20 years.
Our tradition was to stay in Los Angeles to be with my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who all lived within driving distance of our home.
It was always fun eating tamales, dancing to traditional ranchero music, and laughing at my dad’s nonsensical jokes. However, as time has passed, things have changed.
Old relationships ended, and new ones began, and loved ones passed away, including my dad and grandparents. Life also took a big turn once my husband and I both started working remotely in 2020.
Since then, we’ve become much more spontaneous and creative about how we spend the holidays. We never really know where we’ll be, and that’s part of what makes it so exciting.
We love being with family, but we also enjoy having time to ourselves
My husband and I are close to our families, so sometimes it still feels a little weird not to spend the holidays with them. But they’re supportive of our travels, and we see them throughout the year.
Because we have no children or pets, we try to make the most of our flexibility and freedom. This is especially true during the holidays, when we usually have one to two weeks off from work.
It’s a chance for us to rest (and reset) our minds, and enjoy each other’s company without worrying about deadlines and meetings.
Road trips were our first experience spending the holidays apart from family
For the first couple of trips on our own, we stayed within driving distance of home.
After several days in Phoenix during the 2021 Christmas holiday break, we rented a condo in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson. It had the most magnificent views of the city, and that trip remains one of my all-time favorites.
Aside from our daily walks among the saguaro cactuses, we didn’t do anything major, which was exactly the point.
It was enough to take in the views, bask in the sunshine, and visit a couple of fantastic local spots — Coronet, a top-notch restaurant-bar with a charming outdoor patio, and Motosonora Brewing Company, a cool tap room and beer garden.
The following year, we continued the relaxed desert theme and spent the holidays in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree, where a couple of friends met up with us. We loved the wide-open skies, stunning natural landscapes, and the overall slower pace.
We now travel internationally, from Mexico to France
In 2023, we wanted to go bigger, so we splurged on a 10-day vacation to Isla Mujeres, a tiny island off the coast of Cancún.
Though this wasn’t our favorite trip — and we made a few mistakes planning it — swimming in the warm turquoise waters of the Caribbean was incredible, and we don’t regret the experience.
Most recently, we spent the 2025 to 2026 holiday season in Paris, a trip we didn’t even plan until the last minute.
My husband grew up on the East Coast and has missed having a wintry Christmas ever since we’ve been together, so we figured we may as well go to our favorite city.
It was magical. From the gorgeous store decorations and festive street lights to the outdoor Christmas markets and cafés serving vin chaud (mulled hot wine), it felt like we were living in a holiday movie — one that we didn’t want to end.
Fortunately, it didn’t have to. Although the holidays are officially over, we were able to extend our stay in Paris through February, where we’ll continue working remotely.
Though we absolutely love to travel, we’re not wealthy, so we’re always mindful of our expenses. But when we feel it’s worth it, we don’t hesitate because we know life is short, nothing lasts forever, and we want to follow our bliss while we can.
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