To most people, being a digital nomad seems like an absolute dream. And yeah, at times, that’s pretty accurate! But life on the road has its fair share of struggles, too, right?

It’s tough being away from family and loved ones for such long periods of time — no matter how many new connections we make around the world. And that strain becomes all the more apparent during the holiday season.

While Christmas looks different all over the world, most of us are used to celebrating with our nearest and dearest — and with age-old traditions, too. But while spending Christmas overseas can be tough, especially if it’s your first year doing it, you can still have an amazing holiday season. It’ll just look a little different from what you’re used to!

Celebrating Christmas as a digital nomad is all about finding what works for you. Some people might want to have an ‘orphan Christmas’ with new friends, complete with a pot-luck dinner and free-flowing Prosecco. Some may prefer a quiet day in, chatting with family on Zoom and watching cozy Christmas movies.

Everyone's going to want to celebrate in their own way, so here are some ideas for making the holiday season just as fun and festive as you’re used to.

Embrace the holiday spirit however you want

One way to get into the holiday spirit is to do things exactly as you would if you were back home.

If you’re used to a snow-covered landscape, it might be hard to lean into a sunny, warm, beach Christmas. But blast your favorite carols and watch all the holiday movies Netflix has to offer, to help get you in the right frame of mind. If you’ve got access to a kitchen, maybe you can even make some of your family’s traditional Christmas dishes.

Surround yourself with people

Christmas Day should never be spent alone — unless you’re choosing that option on purpose.

Flying solo over the holiday season can be really empowering if it’s a proactive decision. But if you’re doing it because you’re just too mopey to plan something better, then you’ll live to regret it on the day.

If you’re traveling by yourself and haven’t connected with anyone yet, try to book into a hostel for a couple of days over Christmas. Use a site like Hostelworld to find one that is nearly booked out — that way you know you’ll be surrounded by people. Read the reviews to make sure it’s the kind of hostel with a friendly and welcoming vibe. Everyone else there will be in the same boat as you, so it’ll be easy to make new friends to celebrate the holiday with.

Make virtual plans with family

Set a time to video chat with your family back home — and stick to it! Emails and texts are great, but nothing can compare to good quality face time with those that you love. Maybe you can call home while they’re all opening presents or enjoying another family tradition, that way you get a little slice of the celebration yourself.

Don’t forget about checking in with your friends too

While the holidays are a time for family, it’s also a great time to check in with friends all across the globe. Instead of doing just a video call, you could organize Christmas-themed trivia over FaceTime.

Make everyone wear their favorite ugly Christmas sweater or, at the very least, a Santa hat. You could even set up a virtual Secret Santa, where all the gifts have to be digital and delivered by email. (Vouchers are a good online present, or check out sites like Etsy for downloadable digital art.)

Prepare yourself for a financial lull

It’s pretty common for work to slow down over the Christmas and New Years break, especially if you’re a freelancer. Even if you’re still working, invoices might be slow to come through as client offices close down for a few weeks. This is definitely something to keep in mind in the weeks leading into December — make sure you’re saving enough of your income, to survive for a few weeks without a paycheck.

Maybe that means picking up extra work in November, or living more modestly through December and January. You don’t want to have to say no to a fun Christmas Eve night at the pub (finger’s crossed!), or a mini New Years’ getaway because you’re strapped for cash.

The New Year is also a good time to re-evaluate your rates and make sure that you’re charging enough for your services. Don’t undersell yourself. If you have long-term relationships with clients, they’ll more often than not be happy to increase your pay to keep you on board.

Remember to take a break

From the outside, the life of a digital nomad looks pretty perfect. It’s all just traveling and having a blast, with little bits of work in between.

In reality, we know it’s a lot more stressful than that. In order to have those days of fun there’s a lot of planning, late nights, early mornings, budgeting and hustling too. When you work online with flexible hours, and your office is anywhere and everywhere, it can be hard to really achieve that work-life balance.

Just like with any job, it’s always important to take a break and recharge. The holiday season is the perfect time to do it, as work winds down and there’s less going on. Set up an out-of-office notification on your email, delete work-related apps from your phone, and try to get into the holiday mindset.

Be open to change

This Christmas is definitely going to be different than what you’re used to, but that’s totally okay!

The only way to make new traditions is by doing something you’ve never done before. Say yes to whatever comes your way, and give yourself a holiday to remember.

Who knows, you might love your 2020 Christmas so much, that it becomes the “one to beat” in the future.