In today’s instalment of our Advent series, we’re reflecting on how important it is to look for the beauty wherever you’re staying when you travel. It is easy to get caught up in all the planning and rushing around during the holiday season, but try and take a moment to appreciate the scenery around you. Whether you’re hosting family and friends in your own home, traveling to childhood homes or going on an adventure somewhere new, any room with a view can become special.

Get Cozy Indoors

For those of us in the US or Europe, the winter generally drives us indoors during the holidays. Rather than lamenting the wet and cold weather, we say we should all embrace this opportunity to really make our indoor spaces as cozy as possible.

Twinkling lights aren’t just for the Christmas tree; you can string them along the top of windows and bookshelves, or get smaller battery-powered sets of lights that can be placed anywhere. Light candles scented with cinnamon, candy canes or pine trees for a festive atmosphere and make sure there are plenty of throws and pillows for everyone to get comfy.

These cozy corners create an intimate scene just for you to enjoy. Take a break from the holiday rush, make yourself a Christmas coffee or cocktail and stop to appreciate the environment you have created. Even if you then spend time away from home over the holidays, you know you’ll be returning to this space and hey, if you want to keep the cozy vibes going through January, we won’t judge!

Redefining What Counts as a Good View

Most of us will not be spending the holidays in snowy log cabins or grand stately homes, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy a room with a view.

Look for the unexpected vistas instead. Maybe you’re staying in a central city hotel where the closeness of the surrounding buildings allows you to see the different festive decorations all around. Perhaps you can see the street where people are out and about doing their last minute shopping, or are high up enough to watch as the streets light up around you when the sun goes down.

For us, some of the most memorable travel moments around Christmas have come from these unexpected views. In Naples fireworks are very popular so even just looking out from our bedroom window in a regular apartment on New Year’s Eve we were treated to a magnificent display. On a pre-Christmas shopping trip to Paris our hotel room faced a bakery that had a constant stream of people purchasing their festive treats which was the perfect people-watching spot.

Finding Seasonal Beauty Wherever You Go

We are big fans of the holidays, and so whenever we see that people have made an effort to celebrate, it brings us joy. 

Seeing a storefront covered in colorful twinkling lights or a slightly haphazard Christmas tree at the entrance to a doctor’s office makes us smile. Driving past an inflatable Santa on someone’s lawn or down a street criss-crossed with decorations is fun, as is seeing people wearing silly Christmas jumpers. All of these things take effort, and mean that someone wanted to do something nice for the season, so we like to appreciate this.

You don’t have to travel across the world to find seasonal beauty all around you, but we do love a Christmas-themed adventure. Click here to read more posts in our other Advent series or discover the Christmas tours we’re running next year to see how you can join us.