|
|
Vacationing at Home: 10 "Staycation" Ideas
There are a lot of reasons to stay home for your vacation. Maybe you don't have anybody to take with you to a new place (and so want to be home to keep up with your internet dating!). Maybe you just need to take it easy. Or maybe, like lots of people out there, you simply can't fit a "real" vacation into your budget this year.
The truth is, there's no reason why an at-home vacation (or a "staycation") can't be a real vacation. If you plan it right, you can have just as much fun as you would in a new place all without ever leaving your city. The key to staycationing effectively? Treat your at-home vacation just as you would any other kind. Plan an itinerary for your days, take it easy, and remember to focus on having fun.
Want to have the kind of staycation you'll never forget? Read on for ten creative tips for a great home-bound vacation.
1. Rent a car. If your budget allows it, renting a hot car is a great way to feel like you're doing something special-- even if in reality you're just staying home. Driving around in a cherry red convertible for a week will make you feel like a new person when you return to work on Monday. Don't have the cash for a rental? Check around to see if you can borrow a loaner from a friend.
2. Throw a party and bring your destination to you. You'll want to have a lot of different activities planned for your staycation. One of the ones you'll look forward to most? Throwing a party for your friends and family! Sure, you didn't get a chance to visit Rome or Hawaii this year, but that doesn't mean you can't pretend you did. Host a party with the theme of the destination of your choice, complete with food, decorations, music, the works.
3. Be a tourist in your city. Even if you live in a big, interesting city, chances are you haven't taken the time to really experience your city as a tourist would. Have you seen all the major sites or paid to enter the museums and exhibitions? Now's the time to do it. There may be more to see in your city than you think-- and a staycation is your chance to see it all.
4. Get lazy. The worst thing about an improperly planned staycation is that, at some point, it often stops feeling like a vacation at all. When you have access to your work email and the phone is ringing off the hook, what's the point of going on vacation? Pretend you're out of town-- turn off the phone, ignore your email, sleep in late. If you're doing anything more intellectually strenuous than updating your internet dating profile, you're doing too much.
5. Take classes. When you, say, take a trip to Hawaii, one of the things on your list of activities might be to take windsurfing classes or learn to scuba dive. And chances are, there are plenty of activities in your own city that you've been missing out on. Look online or in the newspaper for fun one-off classes in your area, and learn to do something new.
6. Create a budget. When you go on vacation, you've generally got to shell out a lot of money for airfare and accommodation-- so no matter what you do, taking a vacation at home is going to save you money. And while that savings is great, you also want to set aside some money for a bit of extra fun. You know all that spending money you need when you visit a new place? Set aside the same amount of money for enjoying your staycation. With a decent (but still do-able) budget, you can try new restaurants, see new things, and enjoy your staycation just like a real vacation. You might want to think about leaving room in your budget for having the house cleaned before and/or after your staycation, too, to give you one less thing to worry about when your vacation is over.
7. Do something you never do. Remember those things you used to love doing as a kid but haven't done in years? Your staycation is a chance to do them. Go fly a kite on the beach, have a picnic under a tree, or take a long bike ride through the country.
8. Go camping in the backyard. Especially if you're taking your staycation with your kids, going on a little "camping trip" in the backyard can be a ton of fun. Set up tents in the backyard, grab a few sleeping bags, and spend a night out under the stars. With an indoor bathroom just feet away and a kitchen with all the food you need (though you will want to fire up the grill for s'mores and hot dogs!), you get plenty of modern conveniences along with your bit of wilderness.
9. Go for a ride. Pretty much every city has its local amusement park. Pretend you're a kid again (and if you have kids, let them have a blast) with an afternoon of thrilling rides, greasy food, and video games.
10. Transform your home. When you'd rather be able to take your vacation away from home, it can seem a little disappointing to be "stuck" in your plain old boring house. So transform it! Even if it's just for a day (or for the whole duration of your staycation), hang twinkle lights, put up fun decorations (Chinese lanterns, flowers, etc.) and transform your home into something exotic. If it doesn't look like home, it might just feel like someplace else.
About the Author This article was written by Shawn Wilson, a member of the customer support team at Datepad, where we always offer free internet dating. Datepad has a massive directory of informative free dating articles along with a great list of dating site reviews on our dating blog.
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 18 | |
|
| More Articles from Society and Culture | | |
| Top Articles in Society and Culture | | |
|
