May 18th is Visit Your Relatives Day. Carshare to pay them a visit!

Not got plans next week? Never fear! Next Monday is an unofficial national holiday – Visit Your Relatives Day! Although the origin of this day is unclear and there’s no one truth published online as to the creator of it, it seems like a great idea to us, to make us take a step back from busy fast-paced everyday life and spend some time with those we care about most. Having this on a Monday isn’t ideal for everyone, but let’s take it as an excuse to meet up anyway – at the weekend if that suits better.

Of course, in today’s world, not all families live nearby, so if you’re visiting, or even surprising, family members elsewhere by car, why not list your journey on Liftshare.com and see if anyone else is going your way? Helping someone new is the first step toward full friendships and in years to come, you could even be travelling to visit them… or them to you!

There’s lots of ways to spend time with your family and loved ones that aren’t the usual cup-of-tea-round-the-telly, and here’s some of our favourites;

• An American-style pot-luck dinner – everyone brings one dish and you have an informal dinner party. You can arrange lifts between you all and, of course, offer any spare seats on Liftshare.com!
• Visiting a local park or outside attraction (weather permitting, of course!). Why not get everyone outside with a football, some Frisbee, and even a picnic?
• …and on that note, mix and match people into teams and get some games going. Rounders, obstacle courses and a tug of war can all make for some healthy competition, and a lot of laughs.
• Not seen each other for a while? Hook up for a small reunion (or a big one!) and get family and friends from all over to meet, chat, eat, and have a good time. Bring photos and stories of what you’ve been up to and get ready to share not just your transport, but the whole experience.
• Surprise someone! If there’s one member of the family who’s special to you and could do with a bit of a treat or some perking up, get some other people involved and surprise them with a visit and some picnic food. We’re thinking chocolates, nice tea, and cakes… yum!
• Have an old photo and films day. Get everyone to bring their old family photo albums and any dodgy camcorder holiday vids, the most embarrassing the better, and watch them together. Hilarity will ensue!

Family don’t have to be blood, and friends can be the family you choose. So if you’d prefer, do the above with them and remind them how much they mean to you.

Sharing experiences and time together can be wonderful, and that’s how we like to contribute to people’s lives as part of the sharing economy. Liftshare.com offers spare seats in cars to those who need a ride, and over the last 17 years has built friendships and even families through carsharing.