Let’s face it: you could probably count people who are not into vacations on the fingers of your hand. We all love to pack our bags and leave our troubles behind for at least a couple of days. From winter trips when we enjoy snowy activities like skiing to summer trips to the beach, vacations are as essential for our physical health as they are for our mental state. But there’s a catch — money.
Quality vacation costs a lot l. Nowadays, during the COVID-19 pandemic, trips cross-country or abroad aren’t the safest choices either. Things can get quite messy in no time. But, luckily, there’s an alternative — by enjoying a staycation, you get to experience the same amount of fun and relaxation for much less money and at a lower risk of catching the coronavirus. So, read on to find out more.
What Do We Mean By Staycations?
To set things straight first, we’ll need to briefly explain what staycations are. Namely, we are talking about going on a trip not far from your home and enjoying cheerful activities like you would in a foreign country or some other state. They could include hotel or motel rooms, but you usually don’t get to sleep there. You just leave your bags.
Additionally, you can say that staycations are a form of local patriotism. You promote local tourism and the love for your county, state, or region. And if you think about it, that’s a great way to pay homage to your roots and help the local economy. If more people were aware of how fun staycation can be, maybe our rural parts wouldn’t be in such a bad state.
So, how can you enjoy a staycation? It’s simple. All you need to do is do a bit of online research by typing the name of your region plus places to visit and things to do. Google’s algorithm will do the rest, and your day trips to national parks and pursuits of hidden gems won’t just save your money — they will save you from those awful jet lags, too.
Staycations Have Mental Benefits
Since we’ve mentioned mental health previously, we should delve a bit deeper into this now and explain how staycations affect it. In essence, these short breaks are quite beneficial for your mind and soul. Like all vacation travel, staycations allow people to relax and take their minds off private and professional issues back home.
Although they’re shorter, staycations can provide people with some of the best experiences in their lives. From memorable adventures, hiking, and national parks, both couples and single people can reduce stress which is a major cause of mental health issues nowadays. Activities like these are all about happy hormones, which is more than enough for us.
Staycation Is Local Appreciation
Another reason why staycations are good is the fact that they support the local economy. It’s no secret how rich and well-off popular tourist destinations are. From Florida and Hawaii to Paris and Barcelona, travel means spending money, and spending money means a better economy. It’s that simple, really.
When it comes to staycations, they are great for less popular destinations across the country and are pure local patriotism. After all, Is there anything more patriotic than being an American who buys U.S.-made products and travels across the Midwest? Well, we don’t think so! Travel time can and should be a kind act towards your brothers and sisters.
On the other hand, the pandemic wasn’t kind to any of us. Many family businesses that rely on cross-country travel have suffered during the last two years. In fact, many of them don’t exist anymore. So, planning a staycation to help local communities is what all of us who can afford it should focus on now more than ever.
But that’s not all. International travel is great, and everyone should try it out when they get the chance. However, North America is full of beautiful sights to see. Some of them are surely near, making them a road trip away from you. All you need is a bit of research and then decide where and when.
Staycations Can Be a Go-to Activity
Unfortunately, regardless of where you look, the chances are that you’ll come across some form of stress. It can be of professional or private nature, but it doesn’t matter. The only thing that does matter is how you can deal with it. Will you put your guns down and surrender to it, or will you fight back and turn things around? The only answer is to do the latter, and you can accomplish it by enjoying a staycation.
Like we’ve said, staycation benefits are many. From not requiring lots of planning and having no jet lags to being cheap and supportive towards the local community, they also work great as a quick response to stress. In fact, many people imagine them as go-to activities whenever there’s a storm of problems on the horizon. Staycations won’t solve all your issues, but they will provide you with at least some comfort and closure.
Staycation Is Your Home Away From Home
Unlike regular hotel stays when you’re on regular vacations, staycations provide you with the comfort of being back at your place. But how so, you might ask? Well, they offer similar activities to people who engage in them. You prepare meals, watch TV, stroll around like you usually do, and do all other things that you would if you were back home. The only difference is that you’re away from all the mundane issues that can frustrate you.
For some, it’s not uncommon to own cottages, summer houses, and cabins in the wild. These accommodations might not be first class, but they provide you with a backup anytime you need to fall back and reposition yourself. Yet, they don’t take away the comfort of being inside your four walls. Their purpose is to shelter you in the time of need, and you can cook, sleep, and enjoy home-time activities just as you would back at your regular place.
