The characters in In a Holidaze have a capacious and generous understanding of family, and this mindset foregrounds the novel’s physical and emotional setting. Mae is uncertain about much of her life and sees her found family as her only real foundation. Through both the time loop and her love for Andrew, she comes to accept that she can find lasting emotional security in the form of open communication and a calm acceptance of her own evolution alongside those who care about her.

The progression of the story illustrates Mae’s considerable progress in this arena, and to that end, her family situation at the opening of the novel is in dire straits as she bleakly ruminates on the idea that she has just ruined her life by kissing Theo. As she says, “Theo is like family, and these things tend to get messy” (11). On an entirely separate front, Mae is emotionally devastated when Ricky and Lisa announce their intentions to sell the cabin, and she instantly worries that the group will drift apart without a central gathering location. These pressures lead to her plea to the universe to reveal what will make her truly happy, thereby triggering the supernatural time loop that drives the plot.