Celebrating the holidays while traveling takes an extra level of planning and a little bit of creativity. We are still no experts but we have found some ways to make the holidays better while also living our nomad life.

There seems to be something about not being "home" for the holidays that can make some people feel like they are missing out on the holiday experience. But we're here to tell you, you can celebrate from anywhere.

Since we are always on the move we often find ourselves on the road for the Holiday season. Sometimes we are in a rental and other times we are in a hotel but we always make it work.

No matter the city and no matter the living arrangement, you can still go all out celebrating the holidays. With a little bit of work, you can make any location feel like home during the holiday season.

So if you find yourself celebrating the holidays away from home, here are some ways to make it better.

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Make Your Place Cozy

Most people hate not being "home" for the holidays. Being in a generic hotel room can add to that.

One of the first things we do when staying at a hotel or even AirBnB rental is use some of our personal belongings to make it feel more welcoming. If you travel by car you have more room for extra items but even when we travel by plane we try to bring a special pillow and blanket.

Years ago we got a red heart pillow from family and it's small enough to take with us but the red color and heart shape adds a bit of coziness. We also like using our travel blanket and putting it over the bedspread in the hotel to add to the feel.

When we road trip we bring a big black sheet and two extra throw blankets. This originally began to collect shedding cat hair but we quickly saw how personal it makes the place feel.

Other small items you can bring are slippers or a favorite travel mug. Just think of things that will make you feel more at home.

Find a Few Staple Decorations

Some places cater to the holidays but most of the time you find yourself in a hotel or rental that has little to no room for holiday cheer. Even though we are minimalists we realized we do like a few holiday decorations.

Going to the thrift store (or dollar store) is an inexpensive way to find some small decorations. Then you can donate after the holiday season to help out other people.

We have also found that the sticky window decorations can be fun as you can easily add them to the mirror or windows. Again, just a little something to add an easy touch.

No matter what holiday you are celebrating, there are typically easy and cheap decorations to find.

Plan Meals Weeks in Advance

For us, one of the hardest parts about being in a hotel during the holidays is finding what's open. There is typically a fast food or pizza chain open nearby but again, that can take away from the whole holiday experience.

Now we do our research and try to find an actual restaurant. This way we don't feel like we're missing out on the good food.

Our first goal is to find a nicer restaurant where we can dress up but these places typically need a reservation and fill up fast. If we are in a tiny town, then a cute sit-down Chinese restaurant is typically a perfect plan B...but again a reservation can be a big make-or-break.

We have stayed in nicer hotel chains that actually offer a holiday meal at the hotel. This can be a good option but not available everywhere.

Options for In-Room Dining

There may come a time where NOTHING is open, but don't worry, we've got you covered. We have found ourselves in a small city on Christmas day with absolutely nothing to eat...not even a McDonald's.

Luckily, because we did our research in advance we knew what we were up against and prepared accordingly. If you have to prepare a meal in your hotel or rental with limited cooking options, you can still make a holiday feast.

At the grocery store, there are main things to look for.

1. Frozen foods
2. Canned items with peel lid
3. Instant foods that just need hot water
4. Already prepared foods
5. Microwaveable but durable paper plates
6. Plasticware

Take time walking around the store and find different options that sound good to you. Then use your microwave to make our holiday mega feast.

It may seem silly, but it works. We've done this several times, and it always feels like we were celebrating and "going big".

Make Easy-To-Do Holiday Treats

We love holiday treats and definitely don't want to miss out on all the fun because we're traveling. You can always find store-bought treats like cookies but we like to think making the treats is part of the Holiday experience.

There are clever but simple ways to make holiday treats even in a hotel room. The top items on our list of easy to make holiday treats are hot chocolate, and chocolate-covered pretzels.

For the hot chocolate, just buy the instant mix and marshmallows. We also like to buy candy canes for a cute, holiday stirring stick.

For the chocolate-covered pretzels, you need pretzels, chocolate chips, and aluminum foil. With a cup or mug, you can melt the chocolate chips in the microwave then dip in the pretzels.

Lay the pretzels on the aluminum foil to harden and you're good to go. We also bought some peppermint sprinkles to add more holiday cheer.

Another great idea to buy store-bought cookies then decorate them with icing and sprinkles. It might not be homemade but it's still fun and delicious.

Make Holiday Treat Goody Bags

This is a little thing we started doing in 2018 and we loved how it turned out. Since we travel during the holidays we typically interact with people working.

Since they are working because of people like us, we like to give them a little something for the holidays. We made little goody bags by filling Ziploc bags with candy.

Then we gave them out to anyone we encountered who was working during the holiday. It was super easy to do and was a nice little way to say thank you.

* This idea worked well in years past but since we're currently in a pandemic, giving out $5 gift cards are a better and safer option *

Happy Nomadic Holiday

If you find yourself on the road this Holiday Season, you can still make the most of it. Just because you're far from home doesn't mean you have to miss out on the Holiday cheer.

Have fun and try to enjoy every moment, even if it's not how you imagined a typical holiday. We spend most holidays on the road and have loved them all.

Happy Holidays!