Why Staycations Make The Best Vacations

At the end of the school year, my son came home and announced we were the only ones staying home during summer vacation. Apparently everyone else in the world was going somewhere and doing something huge.

When I reminded him I’d booked a weekend away in a hotel with a pool, he let me know it didn’t really count and wasn’t a true vacation.

Maybe he’s right that a little weekend away pales in comparison to 2 weeks in Europe, driving cross-country, or flying to visit relatives in faraway lands.

But I really don’t care. You see, I’ve been a fan of the staycation my whole life and I love nothing more than exploring our home state and spending a few afternoons enjoying the bliss that doing nothing can bring.

When we go on vacation, which we do, contrary to what my kids think, I feel the pressure to make everything perfect for everyone. There are too many thing to see and explore in a new place, and I feel the need to fit it all in. It leaves me exhausted and wanting to take to my bed. And by that I mean my perfectly worn in mattress that resides in my bedroom.

So really, I’ve found vacations make me miss my home and on top of that, I need a vacation from my vacation which is never an option. Because, life.

There are so many things to see within driving distance of our own habitat, and so many of us never get the time or chance to do it because we are too busy living our lives, working hard, and preparing to take a vacation far away.

Our free time is sucked up quickly, and I love nothing more than to have an excuse to stay home and wake up each morning without huge plans and see where the day take us without any school or work responsibilities.

My family is usually home while many others are packing bags, boarding planes, and spending long hours in the car. I sleep better at home, my kids sleep better at home, they act better at home, they eat better at home.

While at home, I don’t have to worry about escorting someone to a public restroom every 15 minutes hoping we make it before things start seeping out of their shorts, and I’m forced to mouth-breath my way through the shitshow.

I’ve always been a homebody at heart and after I had kids, my love affair with staying home grew stronger. I mean, sure, going on vacation and exploring new places with my family can be amazing, But so can slowing down, taking a step back from regular responsibilities, shutting down the WiFi and camping in your own back yard.

It’s a rare occasion when we are able to let go of the schedule and the busy and just stay put in a place we love and where we are comfortable.

How many times have you said, “We should go there,” or “We should make that,” or “We really should throw a dinner party and serve sliders and little hot dogs a bunch of other mini-foods”?

I bet it’s more than you can remember. And you know when the perfect time to do all the things you want to do but think you don’t have to do them is? A staycation, that’s when.

My kids can whine to me all they want that we don’t travel enough, but they love the staycations as much as I do.

You know how I know? Because every once in a while I stop in the middle of dinner, or a TV show, and ask them what their favorite memory is–and it’s always a memory from a staycation.