Here at Miles For Family, Leana and I like to keep things real. We will not glamorize all of our trips or gloss over things that go wrong. We are real moms with real families who don’t always have perfect trips. So in the spirit of keeping things real, I must confess that I am in the middle of a six-month travel dry spell. Yes, that means my family is going six months without any travel, not even travel to visit our family.
Some of you may be thinking, “How can a miles and points travel blogger go that long without traveling?” Others may be thinking, “Regular families often go a year or more in between trips.” I believe this is the longest travel dry spell my family has had since starting this miles and points hobby.
There are several reasons why we have such a large travel gap. For starters, we spent a lot of miles, points and cash on our spring break trip to Hawaii and our 25-day summer trip to Florida. We also have two big trips planned next year—a Star Wars Disney Cruise and a trek to Australia and New Zealand. As much as I love travel and am tempted to add another quick trip this fall, I also practice financial responsibility.
In addition, my husband has been traveling a lot for work. Even if we wanted to squeeze in a small weekend trip, he is just not up for it. He misses his home life and just wants to stay put in between all of his business trips. I’ve already traveled with my kids by myself twice this year, so I’m not up for another solo trip with them.
Admittedly, the month of October has been especially hard on me. My extended family went on a cruise without us. My husband went on a business trip to Disney World, and his company rented out Universal Islands of Adventure for the night. I’ve been a wee bit jealous that I’ve missed out on those fun experiences.
The weekends have been rainy and yucky. Also, my kids recently had a four-day weekend from school, and my social media feed was full of friends and neighbors on fall break trips. I know, queue the violins.
But enough of my whining. Our next trip will be here before we know it. In the meantime, I recommend these activities to survive a travel dry spell.
Adopt a Pet
Adding a pet to your family requires lifestyle changes and patience. Animals need time to adjust to their new home and family members. So, a travel dry spell is the perfect opportunity to adopt a pet!
My family has been thinking about getting a second dog ever since our English Mastiff passed away two years ago, but the timing never seemed right. We didn’t want to get a new dog and then have to board it right away while we traveled.
Our travel dry spell recently provided us the perfect opportunity to adopt a dog. Between the extra walks and the dog training class, Junebug has helped to keep my mind off my travel dry spell.
Get Crafty
I am not one of those super crafty moms who surfs Pinterest every day and makes these amazing home-made projects. But I can get on board with crafts that require less artistry and more technology.
Last year, I received a Cricut cutting machine as a gift. I was intimidated to use it for months, but this travel dry spell motivated me to learn how to use it.
After watching a few YouTube instructional videos, I was off and running. Check out these Fish Extender gifts I’m making for our next Disney Cruise:
Read a Book
Check out a top seller from the library. It doesn’t have to be a travel book! Here is what I’m currently reading:
Focus on Fitness
If you’re like me, you tend to splurge on unhealthy food and forget to exercise while traveling. Staying home for a long period of time is the perfect time to focus on a healthy diet and to exercise regularly. Doing this will also increase your chances of not getting sick on your next trip.
Binge Watch a New TV Show
Extended nights at home mean you have more opportunities to watch a new TV show. I’m currently working my way through Better Call Saul and Ozark. Jack Ryan is next on my watch list.
Explore Local Attractions
My family recently tried a new-to-us restaurant, The Magic Time Machine. The food was terrible, but the décor was fabulous. The wait staff dressed as characters like Spiderman, Jack Sparrow, Merida and Nacho Libre.
If it ever stops raining here on the weekend, I plan to take my younger kids to a pumpkin farm.
Take a Class or Join a Club
An extended period at home is a great time to take a class or join a new club. I’m already in my neighborhood book club, and I recently decided to join a monthly bunco group.
Find Inspiration for Future Trips
Experiencing a break in travel is a good time to clear your head and find inspiration for future trips. Whether it’s scouring Pinterest and travel blogs for trip reports or just drooling over Instagram photos, you never know what places may strike your fancy.
Nail Down the Details of Your Next Trip
With your extra time, put effort into really nailing down the details of your next trip. You know, the things you usually put off until the last minute.
Reserve your airport transportation or make an airport parking reservation. Make dinner reservations or buy tickets for attractions. Write packing lists and shop for things you’re missing.
Fine Tune Your Credit Card Strategy
Is it time to apply for a new credit card and tackle a bonus minimum spending requirement? Which of your current credit cards have annual fees coming up? What is the best card for your end-of-year purchases? A travel dry spell is the perfect time for credit card housekeeping and strategizing.
What about you? What has been your longest travel dry spell? Do you have a hard time in between trips? How do you calm your travel bug in between trips?
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Thanks for sharing this very well-written and worth-reading article.
Wish to see more in the coming days.
Doing things locally and exploring nearby cities
@Boonie Sounds like a good plan!
On adopting pet… So, my original plan was to wait till we were done with out trip to South Pacific precisely because we would have a travel dry spell. But life had other plans after we came across the sweetest kitten in the park. And it was a girl. And the kids wanted to have one set of kittens.
Reluctantly I said yes, while thinking that she would probably have kittens around the time we went on a trip. Sure enough, we had to leave a heavily pregnant cat behind. The kids didn’t want to go! Umm, no, we are not canceling the trip because of a pregnant cat. I don’t think travel insurance would see it as a valid medical condition. 🙂
@Leana Funny that your kids wanted to stay behind because of the cat. I’m glad you found someone to take care of her while you traveled. My kids have had similar thoughts about missing out on things…like when we went to Mexico two years ago we had to miss the school’s fundraiser run-a-thon. One of my kids was really bummed but I was like, “Dude! You are currently at a swim-up bar drinking a virgin pina colada. Get over it!” LOL
Ah I feel this pain too at times!!! Good suggestions!!!!! We have a trip to the keys in March and a Disney Cruise in the summer. Until then – we must be patient! The planning is part of the fun!
@Marsha You have some exciting trips to look forward to! I’m not good at waiting.