You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t stand to benefit from a good vacation. In addition to providing people with a much-needed break from the daily grind, vacations are highly conducive to stress relief and personal fulfillment. And while travel is intrinsically linked with vacationing, the latter needn’t necessarily involve the former. Not only is travel quite expensive – especially during the most desirable times of year – some people simply don’t feel the urge to leave their current locales on a consistent basis. Fortunately, a good staycation can prove every bit as fulfilling as a full-blown travel excursion – provided, of course, you take the following pointers into account.
Enjoy In-State Travel
Going on vacation needn’t entail traveling to a far-off destination. Regardless of where you hail from, there are likely to be plenty of interesting places to visit within your home state. Whether it’s the state capital, a prominent metropolitan area or a piece of unspoiled nature, you’re sure to find plenty of fun-filled locales to visit in-state. Despite spending the bulk of our time in our respective home states, many of us rarely engage in this type of travel. However, devoting a portion of your vacation to becoming more familiar with your state of residence is liable to provide you with a renewed appreciation for the place you call home.
Don’t Obsess Over Perfection
Some of us become so caught up in having the perfect vacations that we effectively suck all the fun out of our downtime. So, while there’s nothing wrong with planning things out in advance, you should still allow yourself to take detours and enjoy activities that aren’t part of your itinerary. After all, taking a break from your usual obligations shouldn’t have to entail committing yourself to a whole new set of obligations.
By the same token, try to avoid excessive social media posting during this time. Some people become so fixated on projecting the image of a dream staycation that they regard having fun as secondary. This isn’t to say that you’ll need to swear off social media for the entire duration of your staycation, but you should try to use it in moderation and remember that this downtime is for you, not your followers.
Expand Your Culinary Repertoire
Expanding one’s culinary repertoire is a staple of any good vacation. No matter where you’re based, odds are there are a number of local eateries you’ve never patronized – or even heard of. So, when considering your staycation dining options, keep an eye out for restaurants and culinary styles with which you’re unfamiliar. Fortunately, New York-based staycationers won’t have to look very far to find a plethora of incredible Long Island restaurants.
Spend Some Time with Your Media Backlog
With so many television shows, feature films and streaming series dropping every week, it’s easy to see why so many of us have accumulated insurmountable media backlogs. So, if you’ve been looking for an opportunity to make a dent in your respective backlog, look no further than your next staycation. If you’re eager to make some serious headway into your backlog, make a list of the various shows and movies you’ve let slip through the cracks and prioritize them by level of interest. This isn’t to say that you should never go off-list, but having a list on hand will provide you with a helpful roadmap of staycation media options.
Of course, TV shows and films are far from the only forms of media. For example, dedicated gamers who have allowed some of the year’s hottest releases to pile up can use extended periods of downtime to tackle sprawling RPGs and other long-form games. Similarly, lovers of the written word can use this time to dive into any books that have been collecting dust – or head to the library and score some new reading material.
We could all use a good vacation. Even if your job doesn’t act as a constant source of stress, it’s imperative that you enjoy the occasional period of downtime. Additionally, lacking the financial resources or desire to travel doesn’t preclude you from having an amazing vacation. Vacationers who like to stay close to home can benefit from putting the previously discussed tips into practice.
