I Took A Staycation and I Liked It

Staycation: A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer.

Over the last couple of years, the concept of a Staycation has surged in popularity. As a result of the financial crisis of 2008, and the subsequent recession which has followed, many people have opted to forgo vacations in lieu of staying close to home. Some have chosen to do so out of necessity, others out of fear, and some because the idea of doing anything which seemed "extravagant" was suddenly taboo.

I first came across the term "Staycation" when our local water park was running commercials with an entire jingle centered around the term. I thought it was a clever play on words, and if I were a parent looking to save money on an outing for my children, the ad certainly would have been effective. But even as the concept caught on and became commonplace, I still wasn't quite sold. Just because there was now a term which defined vacation as grilling hamburgers and watching a DVD at home, certainly didn't make it so in my book. All it did was serve to remind that we weren't actually on vacation, as we should be, which would take away from whatever activity was put in its place. Or so I thought...

A couple weeks ago after returning from a weekend away, I immediately began searching for something to do in the near future. But after looking at our schedule, and my bank account, I decided that a better idea would be for my wife and I to have a great meal, and enjoy each others company at home. Without even being aware of it, I had planned a "Staycation."

The evening started early, with a few rounds of Yahtzee and Trivial Pursuit, and of course our favorite libations. I then set to work on the awesome meal which I had picked up earlier. T-bone steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and baked lobster tails with homemade aioli sauce, paired with our favorite bottle of wine.
Staycation
Granted, being served this spread in restaurants with Diamond plaques on the walls is a lot of fun, but doing so on our coffee table at home means we can enjoy surf and turf in our pajamas. For the record, we do own a dining room table, but does anyone eat there anymore? Finally, after gorging ourselves on this spread, we capped the evening by watching a few episodes of The Tudors on Netflix.

All told it was a great evening, and if my calculations are correct it only set us back about $50. This in comparison to a weekend in a hotel which I'm sure could not be done for less than $300. And yet at the end of our "Staycation" I was left satisfied, as opposed to our other true vacations where I am perusing Travelzoo as soon as we arrive home.

Over the last few years, I've been on many "Staycations," often without even knowing it. Be it weekends spent at the home of friends, to those like the one above, they seem to be even more abundant than actual vacations. I still can't honestly say I'm a fan of the term "Staycation," but the concept is growing on me. Whether I choose to use the term or not, it's clear that all this time I've been taking for granted these events, and not truly appreciating them for what they are to so many....Vacation.

Enjoy Your Stay

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