SIMPLE STAYCATIONS G
by April Thompson
etting away from it all doesn’t have to
Some of the greatest vacations start and stay at home.
mean physically getting away. Staycations—va- cations taken close to home—can save on the money, time and stress of trav- el, and also provide a fresh outlook on your home turf. Here are a few tips to help plan your dream staycation.
FOLLOW NATURAL AWAKENINGS TUCSON ON FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK.COM/NATAWAKETUCSON
Check out. A vacation is a respite from dailiness—even if you simply declare a special day off at home—so exercise the discipline to stay away from your office, housework and the rest of your routine. Plan for a staycation as you would an away vacation: Take care of any bills or chores that can’t wait and put an appropriate message on your voicemail and email. Allow an hour each morning to check email and other messages if necessary, but then make family members accountable to one another; anyone who violates the “no smart phone use after 10 a.m.” rule has to treat the others to ice cream.
Set a budget. Calculate how much you saved on airfare, hotel and other traveling incidentals, and then give yourself half of that amount to spend, guilt-free, on spa splurges, catered lunches or concert tickets; after all, you know you’re still saving money.
Run away from home. Shake up at- home routines by booking affordable or free local lodging via community travel websites like CouchSurfing. com or
AirBnB.com, or seek out a lo-
34 Tucson
cal home swap with a fellow staycationer via
HomeExchange.com.
Order the usual. How
do you like to unwind and recharge? Model your staycation after the best vacation you ever took. If learning rejuvenates you, take a crash course in pasta making from a local culinary school, or enroll in a summer camp to pick up skills in a new sport. For out- doorsy types, scout out a nearby county park to camp in and learn about native flora and fauna. If you’d rather just hang out and be lazy, hide the alarm clock, perhaps enjoy a movie marathon and order three squares of takeout.
Introduce some surprise. Open a map of your city or county, close your eyes and pick a point. Google the spot you landed on to see what interesting places are nearby. Or, expand your horizons by exploring a neighborhood or nearby town you’ve never visited.
Look through another lens. Challenge yourself to see your world of familiar places anew by going on a photo sa- fari in your own neighborhood, taking photos of local characters, landmarks and never-before-noticed details. Give a prize to the family member who captures the most unidentifiable neighborhood objects (UNOs) on camera.
April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at
AprilWrites.com.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48