subject: How To Have A Successful And Enjoyable Stay At Home Vacation [print this page] A stay at home vacation doesn't come natural to the average busybody American, but it's possible with a little bit of planning and self-discipline. "It's so easy in the morning when I wake up and I make my coffee and I start to watch TV. I would think, 'Well, what's on after this?'" explains twenty-four-year-old staycation veteran Sarah Outland. "I just had to force myself to get out. And once I got out, I didn't want to go back in." There are many wonders to behold right in your own city if you take the time off work and plan to enjoy them. In this article, you'll get some sound advice on how to take a successful staycation.
To plan stay at home vacations, Pauline Frommer of Pauline Frommer's Travel Guides recommends that you stay in a nearby hotel for the full "getaway" experience. Consult guidebooks at frommers.com, fodors.com and loneylyplanet.com to find what tourists like most about your city. Websites like chowhound.com or roadfood.com can help you find the best local eateries.
It's also highly important that you leave your technology behind, such as computers and cell phones that might beckon you back to work. This is a week for your relaxation and rejuvenation, after all.
"Airports can be dehumanizing," says Dr. Ilene Serlin of the San Francisco Psychological Association. That's just one reason why a stay at home vacation is preferable to vacations at far-flung destinations. The whole traveling process can be overwhelming for people who are already feeling stressed from work. "It's very disorienting to be in those tunnels, indoors, breathing packaged air, seeing nothing identifying, there's no neighborhood there," she describes. The familiar landmarks that give us comfort and a sense of belonging are suddenly gone and we're left trying to figure out foreign currencies, learn new languages and worrying about lost luggage. While nothing replaces the feeling of literally "getting away from it all," staycations can be a less stressful way of unwinding.
A stay at home vacation can give you the best "bang for your buck," says 42-year-old oil entrepreneur David Mitchell. "There are no security checkpoints in my yard," he says proudly. Over the years, he's developed his South Windsor, Connecticut backyard into the perfect paradise, with lush flower gardens, an entertainment area and a pool with a water slide. In the past, he says he felt that he had to get his money's worth, "so it was go-go-go, all the time, to see all the sites." With a staycation, he has the freedom of choice to do as he pleases and take down-time as needed, without feeling guilty.
