I’m a tiny bit “bah humbug” this Christmas week — I officially celebrated Christmas last week, on account of the sky-high cost of plane tickets to fly to Austin. Had I gone this week, I’d have paid $800 instead of $300. Unbelievable, right?
In any case, I decided that the best antidote to feel “blah” around the holidays was to reminisce on all the awesome holiday experiences I have had around the world.
But many of my most memorable holiday experiences took place abroad and in non-traditional times of the year, from the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, to the Thai festival of Loi Krathong, to Chinese New Year in February in Shanghai.
As I share my holidays experiences with you, I do so not only with the hopes that they inspire you to travel far and wide in 2013, but also with the most generous, thankful holiday spirit, even if you aren’t celebrating Christmas this year.
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
