Does Feng Shui matter when you travel at the holidays?
Since my extended family still lives in Texas (bless their hearts) we usually try to alternate who does the traveling to there or here each year and this year it is our turn to go there. One thing we all agreed upon is that the traditional family Christmas' that we used to have with 25+ extended family members is a thing of the past so this year, we have rented an Airbnb and plan to celebrate the entire week in a refreshingly new environment.
While it is difficult to do a full Feng Shui analysis based on the photos that the owners typically list, as someone who does this for a living, I can discern quite a lot about a place by looking at the lay of the land and the photos. One thing to be aware of is the way a place feels when you look at it. For example, one of the places that we initially considered looked like something out of an architectural magazine while another looked like it was in the middle of suburbia. For this Christmas, we all wanted something totally different that had that certain je ne sais quoi, and felt like we were all on a true vacation.
Texas is quite a large state, but we wanted to make sure that our destination was attainable by everyone already living in Texas so we ended up choosing a place in Fredericksburg, aka the Texas Hill Country.
Here are some things to look for when you are choosing a place to stay during the holidays:
- A clear and balanced front door - there are so many things to share about the front door, but my biggest suggestion is to look for one that is easily visible in the photo. Many of these smaller Airbnb's have the front door to the rental behind the house and walking through their garage. Those are NOT ideal.
- What do you see when you walk in through the front door. With any luck, the owners will share at least one photo with this view. This is more important that you might think. If possible, chose one that walks you into a living room.
- If there are stairs, make sure that they do not aligned with a door leading outside. Every time I have ever seen a house with stairs in alignment with the door, there is an issue around money for the inhabitants. You know you're going to spend a lot during the holidays already, don't make it more difficult on yourself!
- An actual kitchen - preferably located in the back of the house.
Since Texas is known for it's heat in the summers and it's mild winters, my personal desire was to have a nice communal fire pit because chances are high that it won't be as cold in Texas as it is here in Colorado in December, but it will be coolish and a nicely contained outdoor fire pit is such a great way to relax outside. Because I am totally spoiled, I also wanted a hot tub and hot damn if nearly every place we looked had one. Apparently this is a must for a lot of visitors!
We are planning to arrive and celebrate a week before Christmas, but the first thing I plan to do when we arrive is to sage the house and clear out the predecessor energy. Another tool that I will bring with me is my 12 zodiac ribbon. It is known as a Feng Shui cure that helps everyone to get along and when you have a family of very opinionated and independent thinkers, there is a potential for tension. I will bring this and make sure to hang it near the main entrance so that it is visible to everyone who enters. (side note: this is a good thing to have displayed all year long imo and if you want one for yourself, just let me know and I can hook you up with one).
With just a little bit of planning and intention, you can create a space that allows for a positive and healing space for everyone. What kind of holiday do you want to create?
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