I have a 4-day weekend coming up, and I am having a hard time making plans. I love this time of year at home, and it seems a shame to go away in the middle of it. On the other hand, my husband and I love to travel. I thought it might help if I listed some pros and cons.
Staycation!
Staycations are more than just staying home. They are a great time to play tourist in your home town. They became more popular with the Great Recession, but the advantages remain even if the economy is going well. Maybe even better: you know there will always be room at the inn, and the travel time is minimal :-).
The Pros
- As noted above, it’s easy: no getting the car ready for a long trip or getting to the airport. No train reservations. No hotel reservations.
- It’s usually cheaper; see #1.
- I like my home. The sheets are comfy, I know the neighborhood joints, I can have a home-cooked meal anytime I want. The bathrooms are clean and easily available. I can always get a seat on the front porch.
- This can be my chance to see and do things I am usually too busy for. If we stay home, I could easily go to 4 museums, one for every day I’m off work. Some I haven’t been to, some are hosting exhibits I want to see before they disappear.
- I have friends in town. If I want to be social, I could go out every day with different people.
- I could take care of things around the house I’d like to get done before I go back to work: getting pictures framed, renewing my passport, knocking a few things off my Future Me to-do list. Reading The Scarlet Letter and clearing out clothing donations come to mind.
- I could finally learn more about Word Press and work on blogging.
- I could deal with the approximately 5,203,982 pieces of mail that landed on my desk since I last cleared it. (I am not sure if this belongs on the Pros or the Cons list.)
the CONS
- I miss my chance to get out of town and see something different.
- My list gets too long to finish in 4 weeks, let alone 4 days.
- I get cranky trying to get everything done.
- I’m so tired that I sleep late every day and then don’t do what I planned.
- I make a little progress on lots of things but finish nothing.
- I go back to work feeling unrefreshed and like I wasted my free time. Eek!
Get Out of Town!
The plan is to visit the region around my in-laws. They live in a region with beautiful state parks, and some cultural stuff too. My brother-in-law can’t really travel much due to health issues, so going to see them is probably a good idea.
The Pros
- Go somewhere (mostly) new. And get out in nature. This is often very energizing.
- See the in-laws and fulfill some family obligations.
- When I return, I will feel like have done something. The narrative of: we went away, we hiked, we saw family, we saw museums is a much easier sell (to my brain and to friends) than: I rested, ran errands, saw an exhibit or two.
The Cons
- I’m still pretty tired after all the to-ing and fro-ing I did this Spring. I’m starting to be more excited going out of town, but I still feel exhausted thinking about the travel part.
- The cost. We won’t be able to stay with family (pet allergies), so we’ll be paying for lodging. We are leaving things to the last minute, so between travel and hotels, this will likely run $500-$1000.
- The uncertainty around travel: will we like the hotel? Will it be comfortable and restful? Or noisy, smelly, and overpriced? Will we enjoy what we choose to do? Or will we pine away for the activities we declined in the interest of time?
- Uncertainty about relaxation. I am not sure if we go away how rested I will feel at the end. We will plan to hike (walk), see family, go out to eat, see some man-made sights, and then travel home. This can be invigorating, or exhausting. I don’t know how I will feel until it’s done.
Verdict?
After writing out the pros and cons, I still am not sure which choice to make.
In the end, I think we may wait on the weather. Since the away trip centers around outdoor activities, we may decide to stay home if the rainstorms being forecast materialize.
What do you think? Have you taken a staycation before? And if yes, how did you make the most of it?