And it’s almost summer again, that time when people like to escape the heat and humidity, that time when they typically take vacations to the seashore, the mountains, or tourist attractions. In the current rather bleak economy, however, traveling any distance from home simply isn’t feasible for many people. Thus, the question becomes how to enjoy what Nat King Cole called "the lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer" without going deeper into debt, and the answer is a “staycation.”
What Is a Staycation?
The term “staycation” is a neologism for time spent relaxing at home or taking short daylong trips to visit area attractions instead of traveling to distant, often more exotic locations and staying there overnight or for an extended period of time. In other words, a staycation is an affordable way to enjoy your time off from work.
The problem, however, is that too many people tend to approach a staycation in the same manner they approach a traditional vacation. They think they have to develop a schedule and then rigidly adhere to that schedule. As a result, what should be a serene, stress-free, enjoyable time away from work becomes anything but.
A Different Kind of Staycation
In order to enjoy a staycation this summer, approach it with a relaxed attitude. In other words, don’t sweat it. Take not only one day at a time but also each hour or even each minute. Yes, it's all right to plan short excursions to area attractions, but be flexible, be open to change, and, most of all, be spontaneous.For example,
- If a trip to the zoo is planned but the park suddenly seems more appealing, go to the park instead.
- Feed the ducks while at the park.
- Get in a swing and swing high enough to touch the sky.
- Play on a teeter-totter and slide.
Whether it's the zoo or the park, however, people need to locate theirinner children again. They are still there, after all, waiting for the opportunity to run barefoot through the grass or feel the dirt between their toes. So, fpeople need to free that child. They should build castles and even entire villages in a sandbox. Lie in the grass and watch clouds drift slowly overhead. Search those clouds and fine the dragons and knights and unicorns that still dwell among them.
Rainy Day Activities
What about rainy days? Well, on rainy days, go outside and dance in a mud puddle. Or if that isn’t to one's liking, then curl up on the sofa with a good novel. Of course, there are some other activities that might be fun, for example:
- Listen to the rain patter on the roof.
- Read.
- Take a nice long nap.
- Draw or paint a picture.
- Start a scrapbook.
- Make a collage.
- Buy some models and put them together.
- Work a crossword puzzle or put together a jigsaw puzzle.
- Bake cookies and enjoy them with a glass of cold milk.
Henry David Thoreau wrote that “a man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone;” and this is sage advice that can be applied to every aspect of human existence, including the time people have off from work during the lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer. Whether it’s called a vacation or a staycation really doesn’t matter at all. What does matter is how that time is spent.
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