Thanksgiving is right around the corner and just beyond that lie two of the very largest shopping days of the calendar year.  Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with all of the frenzied offers and, get them while they last super deals.  Some people live for late night shopping and bargain hunting, while some are exhausted at the prospect of fighting crowds or wading through so much information to try and find the best deals.  Another option,    instead of gifting things, consider gifting experiences?

When you give the gift of an experience you are providing an opportunity for a shared experience in which doing new and different things will result in a wonderful memory for all participants.  It could be as simple as trying a new restaurant in town, booking tickets to an event, or taking a painting class.  Or it could be as elaborate as traveling to a new destination, trying a new method of travel, or looking into a cultural immersion experience.  

Has Hawaii always been on your bucket list?  What about a river cruise on the Danube?  Far East exploration in Singapore and Thailand? All are great opportunities to get out of the same old and into discovering something new.

Giving the gift of experience also comes with the very big bonus of Anticipatory Happiness.  This theory purports that you get an equal amount of enjoyment from anticipating an experience as you do from actually experiencing it!  So a September trip, given in December would equal nine additional months of learning about, dreaming of, planning activities and dining venues, which will all make the experience richer and let the memory making begin many months before the journey actually begins.

 Being in an unfamiliar place, seeing new sights, trying something unknown are all wonderful ways to increase the level of intimacy and connection with those you share these experiences with.  A newlywed couple, empty nesters and grandparents traveling with grandkids can equally share in this phenomenon and create  memories that bond and last a lifetime.