Travel - it's what's for Christmas

We projected that the holiday season might be hard this year, so we decided to try something really different for Christmas. We are praying that it ends up being a good kind of different... and not something our kids recall with contempt for many years to come.

We are hopping on the ferry for our first trip to the South Island and then catching a small charter to a "boat access only" house on the Queen Charlotte Sound. The house is really primitive - run off solar power, gas and a "wetback" to heat the water. We are bringing all our food (and diapers) for the week. The kids will get a few small gifts that we can use at the house (art supplies, water toys, fishing gear) but everyone knows that the big gift this year is travel and time together.

My mom's favorite quote about our childhood family vacations was... "we are going to have time together... if it's not quality time at least it will be quantity time". That is certainly the case with this vacation - no one is going anywhere.

I like the idea of spending money on experiences rather than things - it would be nice if this trip went well and we were able to pitch the idea of "travel for Christmas" as a tradition. Maybe not travel during Christmas - but rather an experience sometime during the year as "the" Christmas present.

We have enjoyed a lot of "different things" this year... and I like a good dose of adventure... hoping this ends up being a really great decision.