One of the unfortunate parts of business travel is that you don’t always get to choose when your trips happen. Travel on weekends and holidays are almost inevitable at some point. During the Thanksgiving to New Years holiday block it seems to happen more than ever! Missing parties, concerts, and sometimes actual holidays is super lame. However, if you do have to travel during the season here are some ways to make it less terrible.

Do some holiday shopping. One of the best ways to get me to stop feeling sorry for myself is to buy gifts for my loved ones. When I’ve been on trips around Christmas, it always makes me  feel closer to my family and friends when I’m shopping for them!

Pamper yourself. On the flip side, the holidays can be a super hectic time. Take advantage of being away from the craziness and do something nice for yourself, maybe a massage, some time reading a book you’re excited about, or just eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Exercise if you can! Also, try to eat something tasty with a delicious beverage. Last year during December I went to the Angus Barn in Raleigh and had an amazing steak with a lovely glass of Zinfandel, and enjoyed it A LOT.

Stay in touch with home. Phone calls and text messages help you stay connected. Videos and pictures take it up a notch. Video calls, with Face Time or Skype for example, are great ways to feel close to your loved ones. Make a Skype date! It’s the next best thing to being at home.

Listen to holiday music. I know it’s silly, but a little holiday music is a big part of what makes this time of year special to me. I have a playlist with some of my favorites on my iPhone and hearing them makes me happy.

Enjoy seasonal treats. This time of year I LOVE the Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks. The Home Warrior loves eggnog. When I’m traveling I try to enjoy a little of both (at different times of course!) in order to feel festive, even while I’m not at home.

Work on holiday cards. The Home Warrior suggested this one. (Is he trying to send a message and get me to work on our Christmas cards during my trip next week? Hmmmm.) Regardless of his reasoning, he’s right. Sometimes it’s nice to have chunks of time to get stuff done, like on an airplane. Then when you get home, all you have to do is enjoy being home!

Over the next several days I will be doing some Twitter chats about travel during the holidays (in partnership with National Car Rental) so watch for those and participate if you can! (#RWHolidayTrvl)

Readers, anyone traveling over the holidays this year? Any tips for making it more bearable?