Celebrating Holidays & Vacations!

Unit: Celebrations!

TRANSCRIPT:

Hey, I’m Taylor Vogel and this is Now That I’m Not Your Teacher. Each week we’ll explore an aspect of adulting that you might have missed in school. Since I used to be a teacher, I’ll structure it in ways that are proven to help you retain information. But since I’m not your teacher anymore, I can approach it in a way that’s honest and sometimes inappropriate for a classroom.

In this week’s unit, we’re talking celebrations! Today, we’ll toss around a few ideas for celebrating holidays and vacations!

I am an introvert. So holiday expectations are very, very stressful for me. I, personally, don’t want to spend these precious days off work at large gatherings, being stressed out about food and whether or not I’m married (sidebar, one has made other people happy and left me feeling empty, while the other has brought more peace and distance from unhappy people—choose wisely). Regardless, celebrating the holidays for me has not been consistent for me for years and years. What has been consistent? The way I celebrate the holidays and reasons I do.

Valentine’s Day is also my dog’s birthday. So now, it’s a day of finding the perfect treat for him, spending time exploring a park, and lots of licks and snuggles.

Independence Day is about eating food off the grill, reading the declaration of Independence, and taking a nap. Fireworks are overrated.

Thanksgiving and my birthday overlap. I love cooking. And, since it’s my birthday week, I’m going to cook whatever I want.

By acknowledging what makes these holidays special for me, I’m able to make them more restful. Do I share these activities in love with close friends and family? You bet! But I guide the activities where I need them to be and say, “Nah, I’m good” to the rest. And that’s okay to do.

 So, take a quick glance at your calendar. How can you celebrate the holidays for the upcoming calendar year in a way that’s meaningful for YOU?

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