Mele (day after) Kalikimaka, everyone! I could be predictable and post a Christmas-themed photo for the day, but I happened upon a nice shot from fellow Gadling blogger Aaron Hotfelder and just had to commend him for this glorious shot of cowboys in Aruba. Horseback riding in the Caribbean is one of the last things I would think to do, and such large cacti are the last things I would expect to see, too, but that's the joy of travel, don't you think? It's wonderful unpredictability.

If you have some great travel shots you'd like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

'Twas the night before Christmas Eve and all through the house
The children are stirring; you can't hear the mouse
After some ham or Christmas meat
You'll all settle in for your winter feast
Take some time to browse the latest reads
From the ever reliable Gadlinks feed.

(I'm not much of a poet, but I try. Enjoy the last few hours of Christmas hype!)

• It's been awfully hectic at the airports this winter (a.k.a. unavoidably stressful). Make that airport experience a little easier by following these helpful tips. [via Journey, Etc]
• The epic Eddie Aikau Big Wave Surfing Invitational was held a few weeks ago. It was zoo at Waimea Bay, but a rare sight to see men riding giants. [via BootsNAll]
• Check out Travelogged's take on Conde Nast Traveler's 2010 It List.
• Sometimes you gain more from losing luggage. You just have to look on the bright side of the unfortunate situation. [via NPR]
• We all know the joys of a Roman holiday, but how about Rome for the holidays? [via This Just In]

More Gadlinks here.

There's no official word from the White House, but the rumor mill (a.k.a. all of the local news sources) are saying that the Obamas will spend their second consecutive Christmas in Hawaii.

The Obamas spent last year lounging in their luxurious Paradise Point Estate compound on the shores of Kailua on Oahu's windward shore, and it looks like they'll enjoyed their stay enough to return this year as well. According to the estate's website, "In the interest of security, this site will remain offline until January 4th, 2010." The Obamas will supposedly be arriving in Hawaii some time around Christmas Eve and leaving shortly after the new year.

Kailua is one of the state's most idyllic neighorhoods. Lanikai Beach continues to be rated as one of the world's most beautiful beaches. Many visitors enjoy kayaking to the nearby Mokulua Islands (pictured here). Kailua Town is quaint and full of great eateries and shops. It's really no wonder the Obamas enjoy the peace and beauty of this part of the island. Having grown up in Honolulu, Obama knows the best place to take a relaxing vacation. Last Christmas, he was spotted bodysurfing at Sandy Beach, a world-class beach with occasionally neck-breaking shorebreak.

At this time last year, the island experienced a very unfortunate and embarrassing blackout that left even the Obamas scrambling for the nearest generator. Let's hope that this year HECO has its act together and lets us all have a peaceful holiday in paradise.

Sam Chillingworth, a high school classmate, friend, and now featured writer in the inspiring book series Wake Up... Live the Life you Love, recently passed on a book he contributed to called Living in the Now. At the time, I had just returned from a two-month trip to the mainland and Peru, and (as I usually do when I return from a trip) was experiencing a bad case of travel hangover.

There's nothing like reading a collection of inspiring essays about embracing life. Some of the tips I found were so helpful in putting life -- and, more importantly, travel -- in perspective that I thought it would be worthwhile to pass on some life and travel wisdom to ye faithful Gadling readers. Seeing that the new year is so quickly approaching, these tips should generate some good ideas for your 2010 resolution(s). On Sunday, I outlined how to travel in 4D, and yesterday we learned about the 80/20 travel rule. Here's my third and final travel tip to get your new year started on the right foot:

Is it really the Monday before Christmas? (Yes.) Are you ready for Christmas cheer -- and preferably loads of spiced eggnog? (Maybe.) How about some Gadlinks to get this week started? (ALWAYS!)

• The weather has been more than frightful for travelers in the the northeast, but let's remember that there are other big cities under snow, too. [via Matador Trips]
• If you're the type of person who lives for the Christmas spirit, here are the best places in the world to catch the yuletide bug. [via MSNBC Travel]
• Mmmm... I love Denver. The city is such a special place and the food in Denver is to die for. Here's how you can spend three grand days gorging on the local cuisine. [via Peter Greenberg]
• Sadly, I've postponed my trip to the Middle East, but it sounds like this traveler had his share of road trip delights in Syria. [via Faster Times]
• There are some serious perks to being George Clooney -- and maybe even the character he plays in "Up in the Air," but if you're neither of those people, you can at least have your fair share of posh perks as a frequent flier. [via ABC News]

'Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks HERE.

Travel hangover (NOUN): the sad feeling you have upon returning home from an inspiring trip, otherwise known as the back-home blues or a hangover without the alcohol

We've all had it, and there's no easy cure for it either. No matter how eager you are to return home from a trip, there's something about the trip that you're bound to miss -- whether it's the food, the culture, the sunsets, or the escape from reality. Upon returning home, you find yourself bummed out. Not only that: your friends just don't understand -- and can't do much to get you out of your back-home funk.

Don't get me wrong: there's no place like home, but there's also nothing like traveling abroad. Usually, the longer you're away the longer your travel hangover will be. Here are a few ways to get rid of your "illness" a little quicker.

Sam Chillingworth, a high school classmate, friend, and now featured writer in the inspiring book series Wake Up... Live the Life you Love, recently passed on a book he contributed to called Living in the Now. At the time, I had just returned from a two-month trip to the mainland and Peru, and (as I usually do when I return from a trip) was experiencing a bad case of travel hangover.

There's nothing like reading a collection of inspiring essays about embracing life. Some of the tips I found were so helpful in putting life -- and, more importantly, travel -- in perspective that I thought it would be worthwhile to pass on some life and travel wisdom to ye faithful Gadling readers. Seeing that the new year is so quickly approaching, these tips should generate some good ideas for your 2010 resolution(s). Yesterday, I outlined how to travel in 4D. Here's my second travel tip -- of three:

Sam Chillingworth, a high school classmate, friend, and now featured writer in the inspiring book series Wake Up... Live the Life you Love, recently passed on a book he contributed to called Living in the Now. At the time, I had just returned from a two-month trip to the mainland and Peru, and (as I usually do when I return from a trip) was experiencing a bad case of travel hangover.

There's nothing like reading a collection of inspiring essays about embracing life and some of the tips I found were so helpful in putting life -- and, more importantly, travel -- in perspective that I thought it would be worthwhile passing on some life and travel wisdom to ye faithful Gadling readers. Seeing that the new year is so quickly approaching, these tips should generate some good ideas for your 2010 resolution(s). Here's the first one -- of three:

We've all experienced heartbreak -- the kind where you've cried until you have no more tears and you feel like your soul is on the floor. It's never a good feeling, and you feel so emotionally spent that you feel like the best thing to do is stay in bed so you can't get more hurt. The problem is you can't get into a bad pattern of self-deprecation. You have to see the light of day at some point, and it might as well be as soon as possible.

Here are five reasons you should travel after a breakup:

• A much-needed distraction: You may not feel inclined to pack your bags and hit the road, but travel requires mental (and emotional) energy that can make it the perfect distraction after a breakup. Instead of wondering about your ex or why things went wrong in your relationship, you'll have to plan your next great travel adventure.
• Learning about yourself: Breakups are all about learning and moving on, and the best way to truly know yourself is by getting yourself into a healthy state of self-reliance. By traveling, you quickly discover your limits and your goals realign so quickly that your heart will realign with them in no time.

Despite the recent news from Dubai stating its property and building crisis, the city is alive and well, and visitors like our faithful photographer jrodmanjr continue to have inspiring shots to offer us -- like this one. Only in the Middle East can you snap a sunset like this one. That round, glowing sun lowering on the horizon must have been a sight to behold.

The dawn of a new decade is just weeks away, and while the sun will set on the beginning ten years of this millennium, there are plenty of beautiful things to look forward to.

If you have some great travel shots you'd like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!