#Unsettled

As the holiday season approaches and our calendars begin filling up, I find myself reflecting on family plans and the traditions we hold onto.

For years, the major holidays were always at my house. My kids were small, and I wanted to recreate the exact magic I had experienced growing up. I think many of us fall into that rhythm. We dig our heels in, hosting the same meals on the exact same timeline year after year, because tradition offers comfort, stability, and predictability.

Back then, I ran myself ragged trying to make sure every dish was prepared, everything was served on time, and every detail looked beautiful—all while trying to create core magical memories for my children.

But as kids grow up, our goals as parents evolve. We don’t just want to protect them inside a familiar bubble; we want to expose them to new opportunities, push past comfort zones, and experience the world with them.

Over the years, some of my absolute favorite holiday memories didn’t happen at a dining room table at home. They happened on a Thanksgiving cruise, in a restaurant in Savannah followed by a late-night ghost tour, and around a hibachi grill for Christmas dinner in a city away from home.

The magic didn’t come from the menu. It came from the shared adventure.

Holding onto tradition isn’t just a holiday habit—it happens everywhere. I serve on a committee that has run the same charitable event for decades, always done the exact same way. But over time, traditions adapt. And you know what happened? Our event grew bigger and grander. We expanded our circles, invited more people to experience this tradition with us, and raised more money. We intentionally evolved with the times and created something even more special without ever forgetting the true reason we gather. The purpose and heart stay the same, even if the map we take to get there alters a bit. We keep the core traditions alive; we’ve just modernized them.

We also have friends who travel to a different country every single Christmas. Their tradition is the change: a different meal in a different place, but shared with the same loved ones. To some it may seem chaotic, but to me, it’s beautiful. They experience new cultures as a family—those are pure magical moments that will last far longer than any gift under a tree.

It takes courage to loosen the reins, especially when loved ones are used to the familiar. If you do the exact same thing over and over, do you ever really give yourself the chance to grow? You never know what you might love until you try it.

This year, our family is taking a trip somewhere new for the holiday. We are bringing loved ones along into a new adventure, encouraging them to step out of their routine and try something completely different—to venture outside their comfort zone, explore something new that will create lifelong memories, and perhaps inspire more adventures in the future.

My kids are in that beautiful, fleeting transitional age—long past believing in Santa, but still fully eager to catch the magic. Before I know it, they’ll have families of their own, and the cycle will repeat. I’ll be sitting in their homes, watching them craft the magic for their little ones.

Right now, I want to take full advantage of this season. I want to see new places with them, experience new adventures with them. Hopefully, it inspires them to create similar traditions with their own families or friends down the road.

And whether you’re traveling with blood family or the chosen family of close friends who feel like kin, the location and the menu are secondary. What matters is that you come together to make those core moments happen.

It’s not about the meal. It’s about the experience.

What type of holiday magic are you choosing to make this year? Are you holding fast to old traditions, or are you ready to try a new adventure?