Soak Up Some Sun
Summer is often synonymous with vacation. Hot weather, long days and the bright sunshine leave us longing to finally break free from the indoors and go somewhere to enjoy Mother Nature! For many, this means the beach – often an annual favorite location – but for others, it means going on an adventure – a new city or tourist attraction.
Yet for another group of us, summer vacation means a summer “staycation”. A time to relax and enjoy the home that we often don’t get to enjoy throughout the year because we are so busy with work, hobbies and other functions. A staycation gives us the opportunity to finally kick up our feet, take a deep breath and enjoy all of the hard work that we have put into making our house a home.
Stay Away
It may seem counterintuitive to call a vacation a time when we stay at home, but modern times has evolved into a life on the road and where more time is spent in our car than in our house. Dinners spent around the kitchen table has morphed to dinner around the steering wheel. As such, projects and chores often get put aside. Hidden treasures, such as a local cafe or gift shop, may never be discovered, until we take time to stop and smell the roses of what our home and hometown have to offer.
Find a Travel Buddy
For those who are retired, every day may seem like a vacation, or at least a staycation. And if you’re like many, retirement is the time we have set aside in life to finally cross things and places off of our bucket list. But, what if your spouse is unable to travel? Or doesn’t want to travel to the same faraway destination?
Don’t let that get in your way of your bucket list! Reach out to your local travel agent (yes, they still exist during this digital age!) and see if there are any opportunities to join a group tour. Not only will you be able to get to that faraway land, but you may make new future travel companions who will want to tackle the other places on your bucket list.
Traveling with Grandchildren
Another easy way to find a travel buddy – or buddies – is to take your grandchildren on a trip. With an entire summer off from school, parents are often glad to find a way to fill the months – particularly toward the end when school is nearing and children are getting bored with the same summer routine. Taking the opportunity for day trips (if you’re local) or hosting them for a week is surely a win-win-win for all three generations involved!
The Vacation Balance
It’s easy to get caught up in the Rest & Relaxation lifestyle that often accompanies vacation and forget our normal routines of eating well and being active. However, to make it easier to adjust back to our normal routines once we return from vacation, it is often best suggested to not go on a total binge while we are away. For foodies, of course we want to try to local cuisine, but there is often ways to keep the calories to normal intake and to ensure its being balanced with nutritional content throughout the course of the day. It is also easy to get into a total relax mode and forget about our exercise plan; however, even if a gym is not nearby simple things such as taking a walk versus using public transportation will help throughout the week. Unfortunately, it takes less time to lose muscle than it takes to gain it, so don’t let vacation set you back!
So, what are you doing still reading this blog? Go! Book your vacation!
