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The Friday question: Are you traveling for the holidays this year?

Posted by joy

27 Nov

avoiding holiday travel While we love seeing family from far away, traveling takes a toll on our children, the environment, and our budgets. Surprisingly, driving has far less of a carbon impact than flying—and is usually cheaper as well. Are you traveling by car or plane to see family this season? Are you going to brave the journey with your little ones in tow? If you are planning on staying home this year, is it a relief or a disappointment?

Filed under: Family Life, Living Simply

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4 Responses for "The Friday question: Are you traveling for the holidays this year?"

terra jones November 27th, 2009 at 6:32 am 1
We stayed home for Thanksgiving, as my husband had to work Wednesday, today and has to lead worship Sunday, so a 3.5 hour trip for one day with two, small, sick kids wasn’t “worth” it. We will be making that trip for Christmas though — in our mom-van I’m honestly dreading it. I’m a home body, so I’d rather just stay here in the comforts of my own home
Kyle December 1st, 2009 at 4:43 pm 2
I have read that it is actually better to fly. Since the planes are going to be going anyways it is better to just be on it. I guess with airlines these days they don’t add more flights because they can’t afford to.

I can’t remember where i read this, but i think it might have been Men’s Health.
rebecca December 2nd, 2009 at 9:44 am 3
Kyle, I have thought about that, too. If I don’t get on that flight, it’s not as though they will cancel it and save all those carbon emissions. However, if everyone stopped flying due to environmental concerns, I suppose they would start canceling flights. . . . I also read something somewhere that it’s better to fly long distances than to drive the same amount. Of course now I can’t remember where I read that or what constitutes a “long distance”!
sharon December 2nd, 2009 at 4:10 pm 4
my family and i are flying but severely curbing our consuming as a result. it seems silly to pack a bunch of gifts to schlep across the country, only to have to bring them all home again. my husband and i will only exchange 1 very small item and we plan to wrap up only 2 things for our son (which will double as toys to play with while we are at our destination). all the family we will see is also on board with the plan, so no one is giving more than a single small item. so i feel like the travel is actually keeping our consuming WAY down, and therefor limiting our carbon footprint this holiday season.