Nanny to Mommy

The world is changing rapidly in an endless list of ways. One big component of the baby-boomer lifestyle that is being questioned is the concept of vacation. Vacations used to be standardized things that you booked through a travel agent. Now, there’s a lot more freedom and variance when it comes to what people want to do with their time off work. The following will explore one of the newer vacation developments: the staycation, focusing on a staycation in the state of Idaho. Of course, many of these ideas can also be applied to staycations in other areas, including your own neighborhood.

Before diving in, it might be useful to talk about what a staycation is. The word staycation is a combination of the words vacation and stay. The idea is that a staycation involves very little—sometimes no—travel. Some people believe a staycation is a vacation where you stay at your actual home. Others broaden the definition to vacations in which you stay at a home, even if it’s not yours. This might mean renting an apartment in a cute town for two weeks and simply living there, not rushing around to see all the tourist things, but enjoying the cozier aspects of life wherever you are.

Staycations are excellent options for people who feel overwhelmed or stressed by standard travel. It’s also great for people with needs that are difficult to meet while living in hotels, hostels or motels, or people who have dietary needs that make certain kinds of travel difficult.

It’s ideal to think of staycations as breaks from everyday life that suit your interests and vibe. Maybe for you, a break from the hustle culture of this era involves bringing a huge stack of books that you have wanted to read for ages to a little cabin in the woods and reading all day for several days. For others, a staycation might involve wandering aimlessly in a nearby fishing village, happy to look at the world and having no place to be. Maybe there’s a video game everyone is raving about that you want to block out two days to beat. Staycations are supposed to be flexible. They’re supposed to be what you want them to be.

This idea is a major win when there are children who will be joining you. Camping can be a ton of fun, but it can also be stressful if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, running out of snacks with everyone’s clothes too damp to be comfortable. Backyard camping removes all the stresses of camping and leaves you with just the fun parts. Pitch a tent, bring out some games and snacks (smores are a classic for a reason) and enjoy the night under the stars. If you’re lighting a bonfire, make sure that you have appropriate safety equipment near and that you are aware of the current burn regulations in your area. Burn permits are sometimes needed depending on which township you have the bonfire in (often they’re inexpensive, around ten dollars or so), and there are sometimes burn bans during really dry periods to help reduce the risk of fire spreading through parched grass, trees and homes.

One of the major benefits of a staycation is the lack of obligations you have. It’s a good idea to think ahead and run all errands you possibly can before your staycation begins. This could include grocery shopping, returning library books, picking up household items like soap, etc. Lounging about at home with your loved ones is a wonderful way to spend your staycation. If you’re going to be running back and forth to the stores all throughout the day, suddenly, things won’t be as soothing.

Another way to enjoy your staycation to the fullest is to reduce the number of chores you usually do. If you don’t love cooking, read through the different restaurant choices in the area of your staycation and book some reservations (or call for delivery). Sometimes you’ll even find staycation-perfect lists that break down an entire days or weeks’ worth of great meals, taking all the decision-making out of your trip as well. For an idea of what this looks like, you can take a look at Craig Swapp’s recommendations. Other chores like laundry can also be planned for. Consider using local services. If you’ve budgeted for a standard vacation, you will likely have the money to pay for laundry or housecleaning if you stay home for a staycation instead.

Of course, there can be a great charm in standard activities that you don’t normally have time to enjoy. Consider baking treats with the kids or doing one of those puzzles you’ve got in the closet. The simple pleasures of life can be incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating if you’ve allocated the time for them and don’t need to rush and clean everything up because the week is going to swallow all your spare time, and you don’t want puzzle pieces being left out on the table for the next month. Consider adding a little luxury to the activities you’re doing, like using the good china or cutting up little pieces of fruit to put in your water. Pick wildflowers and then arrange them nicely in a vase or create a seasonal wreath. Children are particularly good at coming up with simple activities that are a ton of fun. Blanket forts or childish games are a great addition to any staycation.

One of the easiest ways for regular life to sneak into your staycation without time differences and keeping standard messaging at bay is technology. If you’re staycationing with friends or family, consider having a no-phone day or a screen-free day.

The above information should have given you a few ideas for some lovely and relaxing staycations. Again, the point of staycations is that they’re low-stress and malleable. You can make your staycation into anything you want. It can be a four-day movie marathon where you watch all the classic horror films from the 40s, or it can be a whole day spent outside, soaking in the sun and breathing fresh air. There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to staycations, so follow your intuition.