In this edition of travel blog, I will tell you about "staycation" a different way of traveling and how to stay happy during travel restrictions. If you're doing this, then you are among the selected few who are enjoying true world travel even if you're not taking risks by going out.
I am sure you want to ask me what is a staycation. The answer is simple! Or maybe you guessed it before I even started thinking about an answer! Staycation comes from the contraction of "stay" and "vacation." Yes, a staycation is said to be invented by Americans, but we in India have been doing this for decades.
Ideas make staycation unique
We simply organize such trips a little more colorfully with lots of imagination in our backyard or at a nearby travel destination with a difference. A staycation is nothing but a vacation at home, in our backyard, or in a place that we can reach easily without traveling or with very little traveling. Staycation is possible in our own backyard or requires no or very little travel.
Staycation is growing in popularity over the years as people look for different ways to connect with their environment and each other by exploring their own backyards, both literally and figuratively.
Some people define a "staycation" as staying at home and visiting museums and zoos. One of my friends enjoys this type of travel without actually going anywhere. For him, a "staycation" is like being a tourist within your own city or district and not traveling too far from home.
I have been trying to work on a staycation ever since the pandemic restricted us from going out for our regular travel experiences. I have met some wonderful people with some wonderful ideas about a staycation. They all have something different but are as interesting as each other.
ᴴᵒʷ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᵇᶦᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ⁿᵉᶦᵍʰᵇᵒʳʰᵒᵒᵈˀ
For instance, another of my friends told me that they looked no further than their own property to enjoy their staycation. They have a large backyard with a fire pit, a hammock, and warm mood lighting throughout. They put up many wind chimes and located them in such a way that one would hear different tones from different parts of their property. It's like a sound garden, a very unique idea that is so serene.
ᴬˡˡ ᶦᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵐᶦⁿᵉ
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ᴬˡˡ ᶦᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵐᶦⁿᵉ
Staycation is being a tourist in our own town.
Our bucket lists don't need to include life-changing journeys to faraway lands, but we can start our planning with our local council or tourist information center. Tourist centers and tourist websites, or even booking sites, post itineraries or put up blog posts that are extremely helpful in selecting what to do, and they give us detail about our neighboring areas too.
You must start playing games on your lawn! You can play games like volleyball, badminton, or croquet as part of your staycation, too. You could even invite your friends to compete in different games they play and even give yourselves rewards at the end, even if they are contributory. Be as innovative as you can and add as much fun to enjoy your staycation to the fullest.
Try dining as an adventure
Why do we go out on vacation? It simply means not cooking our own meals, so if we plan to eat at local spots we had always wanted to check out. I live in a house with a backyard and a large front yard, great variety, and a number of places to eat within a ten to twelve-minute walk, so a staycation is not a problem for me, my family, and my friends whoever wish to join us with different themes and ideas can join the fun. Living in the capital of my country with so many options available adds variety to my staycation program.
Another neighbor and family friend enjoys her staycation with her young sons; they always try to target at least one meal in a themed neighborhood for a visit and meal. And make sure to check the calendar, mates. Many cities hold food festivals throughout the year, highlighting different countries and the variety of dining establishments in the city.
We always tried new ideas from a family member or friend who has visited, and we tried those to go to all the tourist attractions and had a ball. One of my friends and her wife are interested in concerts and music. They have a simple formula for staycation, they create an atmosphere of a concert hall in their own living room and enjoy it as much as if they were sitting in a musical concert. They do it in such a way and treat themselves to concerts and musical outings without even going out. We have joined their musical nights twice.
I was amused to join a family who treated themselves to a stay in a guesthouse only 20 minutes drive from their home and enjoyed it as much as they would enjoy a 20-hour flight. I loved their idea of booking a hotel, even if it's just a few minutes away.
I was so inspired by my former coworkers' idea that we did a weekend party in our own kitchen and then moved out to join our friends and family members in the nearby park for a barbeque. It was a real holiday; we needed to escape all the responsibilities of home. So everyone had brought food items as I was a little worried about cooking, dishwashing, or vacuuming, but my friends and coworkers solved it. We enjoyed the variety of meals. The kids enjoyed their games as well.
Learning new skills
If ever the situation with travel restrictions comes again, I will try to learn a new language, maybe French or Spanish. I know how to speak a few sentences each, but I am interested in learning to speak fluently. That's how I wish to spend my staycation if ever I faced travel restrictions in future.
ᴬˡˡ ᶦᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵐᶦⁿᵉ
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