The ideas behind staying at home for your vacation are varied: saving money and enjoying some free time without having to go anywhere, etc. We’ve got a few ideas that have helped us enjoy vacation time spent in our home city; use them to maximize your stay-at-home vacation this year.
The reasons for avoiding a vacation in another location are different from person to person. Maybe it’s because you’re low on funds or it could be you don’t really have lots of time to get away. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a little free time around your own home. In fact, not going away for vacation means avoiding many of the stressors that can make you feel even more exhausted than before you left (screaming kids, delayed flights, lost luggage, jet lag, etc).
1) Take a 60/40 approach. Spend 60 percent of your vacation days lazing around the house, and 40 percent exploring areas of your city that you haven't had a chance to see yet. (Or a variation that works for you).
2) Take your house to-do-list and stuff it in a drawer. It might be tempting to tackle all things around the house you’ve been meaning to get to, but that’s not really a vacation, and will leave you exhausted at the end of it. If you genuinely enjoy being productive, make sure you plan for plenty of time to do nothing in between projects.
3) Consider making it technology-free. A near impossible idea to even think about these days, unplugging for a day or two just might give you a whole new perspective on your home and city.
4) Enjoy nature as much as you can. There are those for whom a 20 day, shower-less trek in the wilderness is the ideal dream vacation, for others, nature is best enjoyed from the comfort of an air-conditioned room. Which ever level you consider yourself on, experiencing some nature will make you feel refreshed (even if it’s just drinking margaritas in front of an open window).
5) Consider limited work check-ins. You know how terrible that first day back from a vacation is? Feeling like you don’t know what’s going on, having to deal with an overflowing inbox? It's enough to make anyone regret taking a few days off to unwind, so consider taking an hour or so every other day to just check in with the workload (not do any work mind you, just check in) answer a few vital emails and delete ones you don’t need.
When's the last time you took a vacation in your own city? How do you enjoy your days off around your house?
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• Vacation at Home
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Comments (17)
I like to buy an unlimited weekly transit pass. Usually I deduct as I go, and it costs more to hop on and off. If I have a pass I think "hey, I've never been to x; maybe I'll check it out on my way." Plus, having made the investment, I'll laze around all day, but decide to take my evening stroll on the other side of town.
What are the plant stands with the metal legs? I've been looking at those for a long time.
Where is that rocking chair from?! I love it!
I think it's really nice to splurge on some fancier-than-usual groceries and to try out some more-intense-than-usual recipes and food projects.
Both the rocker and the stands are Eames. Ka-ching! Ka-ching!
MKO: Those are the Ray and Charles Eames tables from the late 50's and are NOT plant stands by themselves but can be used as such as in this photograph.
LINA123: That is the Charles Eames plastic shell rocking chair, it's the armchair model, but fitted to the rocking chair base and they come in several bases that are bolted to rubber shock mounts, also from the 50's.
Both, however may be modern reproductions.
And I should say that the ORIGINAL chairs were indeed made with fiberglass, the reproductions, especially those by Modernica and others are not but use newer materials that look much like the original, in the original colors I believe.
I always make sure that laundry and cleaning are done BEFORE I start my vacation at home so I find no need to do work during the week. And I'm all about having dinners delivered. There's a healthy food delivery place in town that will deliver only a 3-4 days' worth if you want -- no monthly contracts. And you don't have to worry about the unhealthiness of eating out all week. Sure, it's pricey, but it's cheaper than eating out, and it means I don't have to cook. :)
Oh, and I'm just the opposite on checking work e-mails. NO WAY! There's too much temptation to get involved when it's supposed to be your time away. And once you've made it known that you're willing to work when you're on vacation, you may as well kiss your peace and quiet goodbye, because people will take advantage of that. If you do any work on vacation, are you paid for your time? Most companies won't let you get paid for that work once you've claimed the time as vacation. No, no, no. Vacation is for VACATING and being unreachable.
I recently took a week off from work and stayed in town. I did check work email from home, but had set a rule for myself that I could only read emails. No replying allowed. That way I was prepared for my return to work, but didn't feel like I worked during my vacation.
I also used the time off to use some restaurant gift certificates I had stocked. I generally buy them from restaurant.com so they typically aren't valid on weekends. It was a nice treat to take myself out to dinner on a Wednesday - something I wouldn't do on a normal work week. I also took advantage of the great weather that week and dined al fresco each day, hung out with my brother who is a stay-at-home dad and just hung out in my yard reading.
Last summer my husband and I had a "vacation" at home. The kids stayed with grandparents, and we got to do things around town that we don't normally take the time to do. Saw a comedy show, ate at a great restaurant, went kayaking on the lake, etc., etc. It was relaxing, and we explored our own city and felt like tourists. I wouldn't take my vacation this way all the time, but I will definitely do it again when funds are low.
I agree with Daisy11's email tactics. I will read them (in limited bursts), but never reply. If you reply, people will think you are reachable, and that's never relaxing.
As a freelancer, I'm not sure that I actually understand taking a vacation at home--I'd just feel unemployed.
I am trying all summer to treat every weekend like a vacation at home. Instead of saving up chores for the weekend, I do a little every day. Then on the weekend I'm free to putter in the garden, read on the porch, cook some faves, talk to neighbors, go to the movies, etc. I hope I can keep it up when winter comes! I don't miss traveling at all and I feel like every weekend I'm at my "country house"
The hot weather though is bringing me down.
I've never taken a holiday at home, my SO doesn't believe it's possible. We would spend far too much time on the to-do list as otherwise the undone stuff would just annoy us both. Plus, we'd end up doing all the stuff we usually do anyway - gardening, walking the dog in the same old places, shopping etc.
Maybe next year when we have done all our renovations, then it will be nice to spend some time at home, and get some bigger garden projects done.
This will be the first real summer stay-cation that I've taken since I was on summer break in high school (10 years!). I have booked off two whole weeks.
My plan is to have the house cleaned before my vacation starts, but I'll still tackle some deeper cleaning projects - you know, the ones you only get around to a couple of times a year (organizing closets and drawers, washing baseboards, washing windows, etc). I have a stack of books I'd like to read (preferably outside in the chaise lounge), some small gardening projects (which I enjoy), and I'd really love to try some new recipes that I've been meaning to for a long time, but just didn't have the time.
I think if I can strike a good balance between small projects and relaxation - it will be a really good time spent at home.
I haven't taken a staycation yet, but since my husband doesn't get time off while I still accrue PTO, I take a day off now and again. When I do, I take a book with me when I drop him off at work, get coffee at the coffee shop and read a little and watch the morning rush (and be happy that I'm not in it), and then go home, make a nice leisurely breakfast, start the meat marinade for dinner, and take a very long, luxurious nap midday. Favorite use of days off so far.
I had a wonderful stacation last year. I shopped in the city when people are usually at work and went to lunch at a place I usually thought of as somewhere that was for late night dinners only. When I told the bartender who asked if I was tourist (loads of packages) I was taking a staycation in the city well free pre-lunch drinks for me.
I also started my staycation on Thursday rather than my usual M-F when I'm leaving town...this alone severly cut down on work check-ins. I was able to stop at Pewabic pottery and take my time looking at the one of kind tile. I also hit several fun for me museums and furniture shops I always mean to stop in at but never have the time. I invited friends over for dinner on a week night...everyone loved coming over for a relaxing meal after work. I spent a leisurely afternoon shopping and then cooking. I planned one day entirely at home enjoying my space,sleeping, reading and ordering in food.