When I was a little girl, my parents instilled in me the value of experiences over things. We went to concerts, museums, and traveled all over the US and Europe, but lived in a tiny two-bedroom home, because my parents clearly displayed their values through their spending habits. I can remember my mom saying to others, “Our priorities are travel and education” when people would ask why they still lived in that little house!
While I believe my parents are extremely wise, I won’t ask you to emulate their choices without evidence! I have several reasons why experiences make better gifts than things, and I think they are extremely compelling arguments!
Let’s start with my favorite reason: we have enough stuff already! As a mom, I dreaded the arguments with my son at Christmas and his birthday about what toys to donate so we could fit his new toys in the closet, shelf, and toy box. I was thankful when his grandparents gifted a membership to the zoo, and that got us in the habit of giving an experience (trip) with many fewer things to unwrap. As adults, this problem continues. I have so many things already, but I can never have enough travel!
One of the best things about gifting travel is the anticipation you can enjoy from the time the gift is given until the day you leave on the trip! When you open a gift, the thrill of opening it is over immediately; with the gift of travel, you get to experience that “gift-opening” feeling over and over again. Even better, you get to experience that anticipation together, dreaming about the activities, food, and experience you’ll have on the trip.
Another wonderful reason to give the gift of travel is because you get to enjoy the trip together! This is especially important to my husband and me these days, with a busy adult son whom we don’t get to see as often as we’d like. It’s a big request to ask for a weekend with us at our home, but a treat for all of us to get away somewhere fun. For us, the gift of travel becomes a way to ensure quality time spent together, away from work and phones and other interruptions, and it’s worth every penny.
One of the biggest benefits of the gift of travel is the memories you keep. As you can see, we like to buy an ornament when we travel, to remind us of our trip. Every December, we get to relive those memories…the time we went to Branson for Christmas, our cruise to Alaska, yet another trip to Walt Disney World, our son’s 16th birthday trip to England and the Netherlands…it’s a huge blessing to unpack those memories year after year! Others may make photo albums or collect mugs, but the purpose is the same: the benefits of travel last for years after the actual trip!
So if you’re looking to get away from all the “stuff” this Christmas, consider giving the gift of travel, or any other experience gifts! You’ll be glad you did.
Ready to plan your gift of travel? Let’s chat!