‘Tis the season. Well, ’tis for a few more days, anyway. Not until the calendar year flips do we start taking down the decorations. And even then, a few twinkling lights usually stick around.

Did Santa bring you what you wanted this year? In my case, Ol’ Saint Nick came a few weeks early, and he was packing a beefy high-definition video camera to assist in the production of this humble blog. When Christmas Day finally rolled around, all I could do was kick back and view my blessings in glorious 1080p.

We spend a lot of time in this life thinking about material possessions. Hey, sometimes it’s fun, and I’m as guilty as the next person. No sooner have I added one filmmaking or technological gadget to my arsenal, than I’m back thumbing through the B&H catalog searching for the next one. We all need our hobbies, right?

But RVing has helped to put our possessions into perspective. Kristy and I are part-time fulltimers, if you know what I mean. We don’t spend all 365 days in the year aboard our Airstream. But when we do RV, we typically hit the road with gusto and are gone for weeks, sometimes months. Ironically, we turn to our 25-foot travel trailer (with its one couch and one bed) to escape from our well appointed house with all of its suburban trappings. On the Airstream, we leave most of our clutter behind. Like most RV’ers, we travel light. (You’ve probably noticed that I tend to wear the same clothes all the time! That’s, err, part of the plan.)

My original thinking was that the RV would be our “vacation condo on wheels,” and yes it does serve that purpose. But it’s actually more than that. It fulfills a different need in our lives. It’s a unique experience, one that we wouldn’t trade.

As 2009 approaches, I raise my proverbial glass to unique experiences, for they are what life is all about.

On that note, I thought I’d share with you our Christmas card for this year. It commemorates one of our favorite camping experiences. If you didn’t receive one in the mail, the post office must have misplaced it. Please accept this electronic delivery. 🙂