Planning the perfect staycation is easy.
Wanderlust is a very really feeling and emotion. Especially having just spoken with Sonia Nicolson-Guorunarson all the way from Iceland where she describes the rugged landscapes, geysers and fantastic northern lights. But travel to far flung places isn’t always practical and doable. So how does one ‘escape’ without the hassles of travel?
While everyone else is frantically searching for the best flight, hotel and car deals to skip out of town every chance they get, how about turning to your local neighborhood to plan and have a ‘staycation’ that is easy on your wallet and your life. No knee-cramping flights, no bug infested hotel rooms and no last minute laundry to pack your bags – just you and your neighborhood.
The trick is to fool yourself into feeling like you have been transported to a nostalgic wonderland, not just the other end of your living room.
Here are a few suggestions on planning the weekend getaway – no traveling involved.
#1 Break the routine
The first step to having a successful staycation is eradicating your daily habits and recreating the kinds you might form if you were away on vacation. Granola may be a hassle-free breakfast option but try making something fancy and exotic and better yet, have it in bed. Make your bed and add special touches like pieces of chocolates or even some rose petals you might discover at the end of the day for that special seven star hotel feeling. Bring out those individual soaps, shampoo bottles and body lotion you stole from your last trip (come on, you know you did that!). There is nothing stopping you from recreating your favorite hotel room in your own bedroom…we will get back to reality soon enough.
#2 Dine out
One of the favorite things to do for most people when they travel is to experience local foods – the smell, flavor and ambience of cuisines different from our everyday always makes us feel special and adventurous. So go ahead and make a reservation to dine out. Try different restaurants or even your favorite for a day of indulging in some good food. To make it extra special, perhaps wear something new – dress up even if you are dining solo. Nothing like looking good to make you feel good especially when you on are on a staycation.
#3 Dine-in
If dining out alone or even dining out in general is not your thing, don’t fret. Make your own kitchen your escape and whip up something exotic. Thanks to youtube , there is practically no cuisine beyond reach. Plan out your meal, source ingredients and even buy some new tableware if you want a complete change in your culinary routine. Another option is to take that family recipe and perfect it. If you want to take your culinary holiday to the next level be creative and theme every day’s meal around a different concept – like a country or a ingredient and munch only on food relating to that theme.
#4 Get out of town
Getting out of town doesn’t always have to be a week long vacation to somewhere exotic and far flung. Sometimes getting out of town simply is a train ride of an hour to the city, or a couple of hours by road to a small cabin in the woods. If you don’t have time for an overnighter, take a day trip. Pack a small picnic lunch and get out of the house for the day. Go watch a movie, spend time at the local library or even take a hike in your local park. An advantage of taking day trips is you get to go home at sundown instead of finding a dodgy motel along the highway. Although we are not opposed to even sleeping in the car if it is required.
#5 Play tourist to your town
Head to the tourist spot you always felt too silly to visit and force yourself to take the cheesiest photograph possible. To make your staycation feel more authentic, send your friends a postcard or even an e-card titled ‘Wish you were here!’ A benefit to having a staycation in your own neighborhood is the benefit of supporting local businesses in your area.
#6 Stay in
Another option is to take the literal translation of ‘staycation’ and to stay in. If you cannot muster the motivation to get out of your pajamas and face the outside world there are plenty of ways to transform your home into a resort or hotel. If you have a balcony or a back yard, pitch a tent and sleep under the stars – a stone’s throw away from your own bed. Setup a inflatable pool for adults and splash around all day. Bonus, you don’t get chlorine in your hair and a clean shower is just a few feet away. Create a bowling alley with plastic bottles or even toilet paper rolls in your hallway and score big points. There are no rules.
In fact, the only rule is to avoid doing anything that is typical of a weekend/week at home. Monday comes soon enough!
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