You may have seen the term “staycation” floating around the internet in recent years. Although the concept of staying at home isn’t new, staycations have taken the online world by storm.
What is a staycation?
You can probably guess by the name that a staycation is the act of taking time off from work or daily activities to explore one’s hometown or city. Staycations are like any other vacation, except that they happen right in your own area. They still require a little bit of planning and the willpower to not fall into the trap of continuing your daily routine, being that you are in the same environment.
There are several benefits to foregoing time away from home to stay right where you are. Staying home doesn’t mean staying in your house not doing anything, unless of course, that is your ideal way to relax. We’ve compiled a list of five reasons why you may want to plan a staycation.
1. Staycations are economical
While you won’t have zero expenses, you will have significantly less expenses than if you were traveling out of town. You will still need to eat and find a way to get around, but you won’t need to worry about additional travel expenses, such as plane or bus tickets and hotels. Some people opt to stay in hotels or resorts in their area just for a change of environment, but how you plan your staycation and how much you spend on restaurants, activities and possible lodging is up to you.
2. Staycations are less stressful
Just as you can subtract some travel expenses from your list, you can also subtract potential travel and time stressors that could come up if you’re traveling away. This includes running to catch a plane and get through TSA in time and worrying that you’ll forget something when packing.
Staycations also take the stress out of planning. If you’ve been in your area for a while, you’ll know what’s accessible without having to do a lot of research.
3. Staycations are relaxing
Staycations are meant to be relaxing. I was once talking to someone who told me that there’s a difference between going on a vacation or a trip. I always thought the two concepts were synonymous, but he had a point. Sometimes taking a vacation requires traveling, but is a vacation really a vacation if you aren’t relaxing? If you are trying to clear a list of places you want to go or things you want to see in a short amount of time, isn’t it more like a trip than a vacation? If you’re staycationing, your time away from work and other activities can be more relaxing than if you were to go away.
4. Staycations allow you to take things at your own pace
Even though you are dedicating a set amount of time to your staycation, you don’t have to feel the pressure of doing everything that you want or hope to in that amount of time. Since you are exploring the area in which you live, you can take your time doing everything that you’d like to do. Why? Those places will still be there, even after you go back to work or resume your daily schedule. This allows you to enjoy what’s around you at your own pace.
5. Staycations allow for togetherness
Unlike planning a trip with friends and family somewhere else, it’s so much easier to plan a staycation with the ones you love. Staying in your area means you have a higher chance of your loved ones joining you in your activities, providing it works with their schedule. It’s much more difficult to plan a trip with multiple people when it comes to being away, especially if their travel style is different from yours and you can’t agree on a budget.
Now that you know the benefits of planning a staycation, perhaps you find yourself wanting to plan one, but have no idea where to start. Check out our article on planning a staycation to learn more!
