FreeWill Labs
I've been thinking about doing something a little different for Christmas this year.
Moab. Arches. Winter.
Not exactly the classic Christmas vacation.
And that's part of why I like the idea.
We've done enough family travel now that I'm increasingly attracted to trips that feel distinctly connected to a place rather than simply moving our normal holiday somewhere else.
Red-rock desert in December certainly qualifies.
Winter changes the planning
Visiting Arches in summer and visiting Arches around Christmas are not the same trip.
I'm already thinking about temperature, daylight and the possibility that weather changes what we're able to do.
That means I'm resisting the temptation to create a rigid itinerary.
I'd rather identify a few experiences that would make the trip feel worthwhile and build flexibility around them.
If we get a beautiful clear winter day, use it.
If the weather changes, change the plan.
Arches is the anchor
Arches National Park is obviously one of the reasons to go.
There's something appealing about seeing those enormous red-rock formations against a winter landscape rather than experiencing the park during peak summer heat.
But I'm also trying not to turn the trip into:
Wake up → hike → hike → viewpoint → hike → everyone is exhausted.
I've learned that lesson.
One or two meaningful anchors in a day usually works much better for us than maximizing the number of things we've technically seen.
Christmas doesn't have to disappear
I'm also thinking about how to make the trip still feel like Christmas.
That's part of the fun of planning it.
The holiday doesn't need to compete with the destination.
A slower morning, a good meal, something cozy at the end of a cold day and the fact that we're all somewhere extraordinary together may be enough.
I'm much more interested in creating a Christmas we'll remember than recreating every normal Christmas tradition while traveling.
The uncertainty is part of the plan
I don't know exactly what the weather will do.
I don't know which activities will ultimately make the final itinerary.
And I'm okay with that.
This is currently a trip taking shape, not a finished schedule.
That's an important distinction I've been thinking about while building travel products too.
Travel planning software tends to reward certainty.
December 24. 9:00 AM. Activity.
Real family planning often looks more like:
"We'd love to do this if the weather cooperates."
That's still useful information.
It shouldn't disappear just because it isn't confirmed.
Some of the trip should remain TBD
There will eventually be reservations.
There will be dates.
There will be things we need to know before we leave.
But I don't think good planning means eliminating every TBD.
Sometimes TBD means:
We haven't decided yet.
Sometimes it means:
We'll see how everyone feels.
And in Moab in December, it may mean:
Ask the weather.
Those aren't planning failures.
They're part of building a trip that can survive contact with real life.
For now, I'm enjoying the possibility
This is one of my favorite stages of travel.
Nothing has gone wrong yet.
Nobody is tired.
We haven't forgotten anything.
The weather forecast can't scare me because it's too early to have one.
Right now there are just red rocks, winter air, Christmas and the possibility of another family adventure.
Eventually I'll turn it into a plan.
I'm not in a hurry to take all the dreaming out of it.
