If COVID is still limiting your travel, this article will show you how to make the most of your hometown while on break or vacation.
If you’ve been wanting to travel over the past couple of years, chances are COVID-19 restrictions have kept you from fulfilling this desire. While some countries are lifting their restrictions, others continue to make entrance difficult.
With the pandemic restrictions and the expense and stress of traveling, you may find yourself wondering if it’s even worth the trouble. If that’s you, consider taking a “staycation” instead!
A staycation may sound lame compared to drinking wine in Italy or hiking in the Alps, but if you plan it right, it can be just as fun, relaxing and adventurous. You may even find your new favorite spot! So whether you have a break coming up or simply need a day off, here’s how to make the most of your hometown and have a staycation that’s just as refreshing as a vacation.
Planning & Research
If you really want to make the most of your staycation, you need to plan out what you’re going to do and research potential places to go and activities to do.
Is there a restaurant, bar or coffee shop that you’ve been wanting to visit? Is there a trail you’ve been wanting to run? A park to go play frisbee in? A museum to go visit? Now is your time to put that in your schedule and make it happen!
Once you’ve figured out what you want to do, it’s time to do a little research. Check for admission fees, menus, location, parking and anything else you may need to make the most of your staycation.
Try Something New
I know I already mentioned this a bit in my first point, but to truly make your staycation feel as “vacation-y” as possible, you’ve got to branch out.
We all have our favorite spots around town — and while there’s nothing wrong with that, going to the same restaurant, coffee shop or bar will feel too much like your normal routine. Think about it this way: on a regular vacation, would you rather eat out at a chain restaurant or somewhere local?
If you answered the latter (and I hope you did), then channel this same principle to your hometown or city. By trying something new — whether this be a rooftop bar or going indoor skydiving — you take yourself out of your normal routine, making your staycation feel more like a vacation!
Be Intentional With Social Media
Social media is something we often use as a distraction from work or life in general (whether we realize it or not). If we take a step back and examine our use of apps like Facebook, Instagram and the like, we may find that they are draining us or making us feel worse about ourselves.
Now, on vacation, do you want to feel this way? I would hope not. So when you go on your staycation, I recommend either deleting social media altogether or limiting the amount of time you spend on it for the days you’re “away.”
Use this time to refocus and reconnect with yourself and with those you get to spend your staycation with.
Wherever you live and however long your staycation, I hope it’s memorable, restful and easygoing.
The Beat @APU 