We skipped our annual Christmas celebrations with extended family and went on vacation instead — just the 4 of us
In a heartwarming reflection on family and holiday spirit, Margie Pumpa recounts her unique Christmas experience spent traveling in a caravan on a remote beach in South Australia. Traditionally, Christmas for Pumpa and her family meant large gatherings filled with feasting and connection, but last year’s travel plans necessitated a departure from the norm. With her husband and two young children, they embraced the adventure of a yearlong journey through the Australian outback, leading to an unforgettable holiday that prioritized creativity and family bonding over traditional customs. Despite the challenges of limited space and the absence of familiar holiday trappings, they transformed their caravan into a festive haven, complete with a small travel-sized Christmas tree and decorations that brought warmth and cheer to their unconventional setting.
To make the holiday special, the Pumpa family got inventive with their Christmas feast, opting for a barbecue-cooked nacho dinner instead of the traditional roast. This laid-back meal, shared on a beach blanket, exemplified their focus on enjoying each other’s company rather than adhering to a rigid holiday menu. Additionally, they navigated the logistics of gift-giving in a remote location by coordinating with family members to send presents to a nearby town, ensuring that Santa could still find them despite their unconventional living situation. Utilizing modern technology, they connected with extended family members through video calls, allowing loved ones to witness the joy of their children unwrapping gifts.
Ultimately, Pumpa’s experience highlights the importance of adaptability and the creation of new traditions in the face of unexpected circumstances. While she cherishes the large family gatherings of the past, last Christmas taught her family valuable lessons about connection, creativity, and the true essence of the holiday season. As they look forward to reuniting with family this year, they carry with them the memories of a Christmas that, while different, was filled with love, laughter, and the spirit of togetherness. The Pumpa family plans to incorporate their unique holiday traditions into future celebrations, perhaps even including those turkey nachos as a delicious reminder of their adventure.
I’m fortunate to come from a close family that values large Christmas gatherings; however, our travel plans meant last year’s festivities looked a little different.
Margie Pumpa
My husband, kids, and I
spent Christmas traveling
instead of visiting with our extended family.
To create magic for our kids, we had presents shipped to us and decorated our whole caravan.
It wasn’t a traditional holiday, but it was a blast and we loved video calling other family members.
Christmas is a really, really big deal in our house.
It’s when our close-knit extended family gets together to celebrate, feast, and spend time with one another.
However, my husband, two young kids, and I spent last Christmas sitting in our caravan on a remote beach in South Australia, just the four of us.
It was a far cry from the holidays before. But after years of deliberating, we’d just recently packed up our lives and belongings and headed toward the Australian outback for a yearlong adventure in a small caravan.
Coming home for Christmas
wasn’t an option — but, with a bit of planning, we still ended up having a brilliant (and unique) holiday.
We were able to bring Christmas magic on the road
We put together a plan to make things extra special as our little family celebrated a holiday on the road.
Margie Pumpa
When you travel with everything you own packed into a caravan, space is at a premium.
We would’ve loved a standard Christmas tree, but we opted for a small, travel-sized version that had been stashed in the back of a cupboard for months as it silently traveled Australia.
As the holiday season approached, we dug out the tree and our kids decorated with the small selection of trimmings we’d brought with us.
Quickly, the whole caravan turned into a Christmas ornament, with tinsel and fairy lights hanging from every nook and cranny. To our surprise, it was really magical. The kids loved the space so much that the lights stayed up long after December 25.
We also got creative when
planning our Christmas feast
, especially since our caravan doesn’t have an oven and we’d be miles from any major city on the big day.
Instead of roasting a whole bird, we made nachos with our barbecue and stove and topped them with ground turkey and other fixings.
While sitting on a blanket on a beach, we used our best plastic plates and shared our low-stress Christmas-inspired feast. As a bonus, cleaning up after dinner was a breeze.
We made sure Santa could find us, and that we could get in touch with family
Though we loved spending time as just a foursome, we utilized technology to virtually invite grandparents and family members into our caravan for the holidays.
Margie Pumpa
Like any inquisitive 4-year-old, my daughter asked: “How will Santa find us?” She was concerned we didn’t have a chimney, a letterbox, or even space for Santa to fit in our van.
Once again, we did some serious problem-solving. Thanks to the magic of Christmas — and preparations we made months in advance — Santa
did
find us.
Grandparents also wanted to send gifts, which proved difficult on the road. Since we’d be in a remote area at Christmastime and unable to receive parcels, we arranged for relatives to get their presents to a town we knew we’d be visiting a few weeks prior.
Then, we hid them in the van the best we could until Christmas Day.
That morning, thanks satellite coverage and modern technology, we were able to video call members our extended family so they could see the kids unwrap their gifts.
I still love our big holiday celebrations, but last Christmas is one we won’t forget
Christmas is more about the people than the presents … but we still made sure to have a few gifts under the tree for the kids.
Margie Pumpa
Our holiday wasn’t traditional, and we’ll absolutely remember it for years to come.
Being on the road forced us to problem-solve and come up with ideas as an extended family. It allowed us to rethink many traditions and leave some behind simply because, logistically, they couldn’t happen.
Instead, we created new traditions and memories as a young family, while still staying connected with loved ones over video calls.
Would we do it again? Absolutely. But this year, we plan to celebrate in person with our larger family again … and we might even bring the turkey nachos!
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