It’s that time of year to celebrate the holidays! For many, this brings up images of lights and trees and big, big meals surrounded by lots and lots of people. Now how does this change once you hit the road? How do you keep that holiday spirit while RVing?
Variety is the spice of life
Since hitting the road in October 2015, we have celebrated 5 holidays seasons with kids. Each year the celebrations have looked differently. We have celebrated alone in our RV, hung out with our stationary friends, and gone back home to be with family. So just because you are on the road, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a variety of celebration types. Do what works for you. Try making new traditions. Like your RV journey should fit your needs and those of family, so should your RV holiday celebrations.
Tiny, but Mighty
Ok, even if you have a huge 40+ft RV, your RV kitchen is still tiny by modern home standards. No matter the size of that tiny kitchen, you can still make a Thanksgiving meal. Maybe you can’t make a 20lb turkey or make enough for a family of 20, but you can still make a smaller version of that. Get a small turkey or maybe fry it outside instead of in the oven. Start early and stage your side items on different days and maybe don’t make as much. One year I made cornish hens and 1 side dish in the RV. Super yummy and scaled to the size of our tiny RV kitchen and our family.
Potluck it
Something that is really, really cool about RV living is the potluck love in the community. Not only are there some on regular days, but potlucks at the RV park are extremely common during the holidays. Some have park-wide potlucks held in their activity centers or at an open patio if the weather is good. If you are staying at an RV park or campground for the holidays, ask them at check-in if they have celebrations at the park. If they do not have celebrations at the park, don’t be shy to make friends and maybe even organize your own!!
Decorating Adjustments
Decorating in an RV is different too. No longer can you get that full-sized tree. It’s gonna be a bit smaller. We have a table-top tree and that’s not the only thing we have made smaller. We have lights, but instead of thousands of lights, we have hundreds. 100 inside and 100 outside. Lol It’s still pretty and makes our space happy, but just simpler. Some folks that do have larger rigs can fit a larger tree and more lights and menorahs without keeping things mini. Oh and if you get inflatables for your yard, hey, they collapse down when not in use and just get the small ones. So no 10ft tall lawn Santa, instead you get the 5 ft one.
All the Presents
Now that you are in that tiny space, you might not have room for all the gifts that you might normally have received. So what are your options? Well, you can purchase e-books, e-music, consumables (wine, meat and cheese baskets, etc.), the gift of adventure (family passes to parks, museums, etc.). If you do decide on tangible items that last, be ready to shift things around or donate older items to make room. If you have kids, help them understand one in, one out. That way you don’t end up in a cluttered and stressful space with tons and tons of toys. Need a little help with shopping? Click here!
Embrace the Freedom
I want to encourage you to enjoy your holidays and to enjoy it how you want to. Now that you have the tiny kitchen, no yard, and can be anywhere you want to be, embrace that freedom. You can go all out in a tiny way or skip it all and enjoy what someone else has done. Don’t focus on the limitations brought on by RV living, but focus on all the options and do the one that fits you and your RV lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
I really hope this helps you if you are newly on the road. So tell me, what do you do to keep the Holiday Spirit While RVing?
Exploring the Local Life is a Latino Roadschooling family of four that has been on the road since October 2015. We blog and vlog all about RVing, but it's not always rainbows and campfires. It's real-life every day as we navigate love, unschooling, and breaking free from the mold in our 26ft home on wheels. We participate in the Amazon affiliate program. We receive a commission for purchases made via affiliate links in this post.