In this week’s Trail Talks episode, we unwrap something almost all of us carry around during the holidays: the Holiday Manual — that invisible rulebook we expect other people to follow… even though we never actually tell them.

We dive into:
 🧠 Why our brains create expectations in the first place
 💬 How unspoken “manuals” shape our relationships and stress
 ✨ When expectations cross the line into disrespect — and why the Golden Rule always wins
📘 The difference between healthy standards and secret demands
🌟 Five simple tools to ditch the manual and enjoy the season with more connection

Then for the detour: my cousin Jill joins us with the hilarious story of the year her kids opened every single Christmas present without her 🤣🎁 — and we wrap things up by tier-ranking holiday movies.

Whether you love the holidays, dread them, or sit somewhere in between, this episode brings perspective, laughter, and the freedom to rewrite your own manual.