Try great outdoors and more during winter break

Jasen Williams Teen Columnist, The Friday Flyer.

Jasen Williams
Teen Columnist, The Friday Flyer.

Vacations, especially family vacations, are tricky. With the upcoming Christmas break and incoming in-laws, people really can be at a loss about what to do after the initial pleasantries and familial updates. Do I break out the movie set at once? Silently agree to retreat into the grasp of the phone once again?

But what fun is that? In this article I’ll be sharing some things that have helped my family keep relaxed yet occupied during this wonderful time of year, in addition to some new undertakings we are hoping to try out.

The first thing that I especially look forward to is what moms have universally recommended since the beginning of houses: Go outside.

Maybe it’s just me, but it really does sometimes feel like my life is lived in my living room, classrooms and car. And also as seriously (maybe seriously funny) is the incredible amount of enjoyment you get from a simple walk, whether it be alone or with company.

A little over a year or so ago, I had a dilemma. In order to complete the next step for Eagle Scout, I had to complete one out of three options: hike 70 miles, swim 200 yards with lots of additional safety exercises, or cycle roughly 150 miles.

Since I hadn’t swam in years, still don’t know how to ride a bike (shh…) and, frankly, am not all that bright, I decided on the hiking option. So every other weekend last summer, I hiked a total of five separate 10-milers and one 20-miler.

It was awesome. Each time, I hiked with either my dad (who did most of them with me) or with some buddies. Topics about everything from philosophy to great stories to our funniest and/or lamest jokes were discussed with great enthusiasm and enjoyment.

The funny thing about quality time with people is that “We are going to have family time and enjoy it!” can be said around the living room because everyone now has the mindset that ‘I need to say things because we are having family time. It seems that the best way to do it is simply have an activity that provides the vital medium between people and good conversation.

As you have already deduced by now, hiking is not the only thing that works. Anything from ice skating, kayaking, running, climbing (Rockfitness in Murrieta, by the way, is amazing) biking, and you name it will work in this fashion. Crazy, isn’t it? It’s like the moms were right all along!

Yet, if physical exercise isn’t your thing, no problem! A couple years ago, when I discovered that a number of my friends enjoyed strategy board games, I held game days in which we played all kinds of games, from Risk to four-way Chess to Munchkin to Settlers of Catan.

Nerdy? Yup. Was the point to simply play games? Nope. It was simply the conductor for discussions, stories, hopes, reflections and some really bad puns.

Another thing, even though I mentioned it a bit earlier, is movie marathons. I already mentioned that I have been known for the occasional Disney or Harry Potter marathons, but it needn’t be as classy as that. You’ve got anything from Star Wars, Downton Abbey, Psych, Rocky, Firefly and more to choose from.

My family especially enjoys Christmas movies, namely “Elf” and “White Christmas” (we like variety, if the disparity between movies didn’t give it away).

I think my favorite part about movie marathons is really the reflection and questions asked afterward. We watched “The Dead Poets Society” just recently (may Robin Williams rest in peace), and it was intriguing to ponder the questions that the movie posed. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to live excellently? How does art and beauty move us? It is as the good Socrates says to his friend Theaetetus about a topic, “Does this look to you a tempting meal and could you take a bite of the delicious stuff?”

Speaking of which, reading is another low-key, low-cost activity. Anything from Plato’s dialogues (the shortest around 10 pages) to Oscar Wilde’s “Portrait of Dorian Gray” to the popular “Christmas Carol” can provoke interesting ideas; they are classics for a reason.

And after the long day of whatever you did or didn’t do, there always remains the fireplace. Arguably one of the most entrancing things to look at for long periods of time, fire seems to draw out a sort of quiet warmth in those gathered around.

Leading me to my final activity: sitting. “Wow, Jasen, really creative you have been. You have suggested things that are common and normal and tried to connect some sort of nebulous ‘good conversation’ thingy with all of that. What will you suggest next, eating?” says my faithful sceptic.

I am not talking about any sort of normal sitting. I am talking about engaging in the lost art of companionable silence. You may find in any one of these suggested activities that there will appear to be a lull, not a pause or a stutter in conversation. It is my belief that these lulls are natural and positive.

Why? Essentially, it is because you are basking in your friendship. Those lulls that are so often misunderstood between even longtime friends and family, but are really precious memories in which neither of you are fully aware that time is passing.

I think that this applies to a variety of things, not just late night relaxing by the fire. Have you ever been so engrossed in a book, game, movie, conversation, or really any activity that you enjoyed in which you lost track of time? Have you ever considered the truth behind the saying “time flies when you are having fun?”

These are the moments that make good times good. And there is no better time than the holidays to let these opportunities blossom.




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