
Let's be honest- travel, while potentially romantic and exciting, can be very stressful, uncomfortable and expensive. Long weekends and days off don't really leave enough time to jet off to an exotic locale or go on a great road adventure. Then again, just sitting at home can get pretty dull. So, why not indulge in a Staycation? There are a lot of ways to get away without really getting away. Here are a few suggestions for how to make your travel-free holiday a success.
Dress to Decompress
A lot of us spend most of our week wearing clothes related to our jobs. Suits, uniforms and other image-conscious attire can really start to put an emphasis on the daily grind. For your Staycation, make it a point to dress differently than you have to dress for work. Whether that means going casual to get rid of that office feeling, or dressing up for an extra bit of class after sporting your uniform for so many days, making your clothes special is a great way to put you in a non-work mindset.
Skip The Plane Ticket, Splurge On The Hotel
With all the money you'll be saving by not having to deal with long-distance transportation, you should have plenty to swing a nicer hotel room than you're used to. Do some research about the hotels in your city to find the one with the perfect combination of convenience, amenities and price. Try to go for something outside of your own neighborhood. There's no need to ruin a beautiful room with too familiar a view.
Fine Dining Is A Must
A good meal is happiness on a plate. Your Staycation is the perfect opportunity to try that restaurant you've been saving for a special occasion. Better yet, try a place that looks good but you've never even heard of. Every city has it's hidden gems. Why not go out and find one?
Support The Arts... Really!
Every major city has theater companies and at least one museum. A lot of them have symphonies, ballets and operas, too. While you're enjoying the fancier side of life, take in some culture. Surprisingly, a lot of these things aren't very expensive to begin with. Going out for a play can end up costing no more than seeing a movie with a bag of popcorn.
Relax Those Muscles
These days, an hour-long professional massage runs anywhere from $40-$100. Practically everyone could certainly use some tension relief in their backs and necks. Whether it's sitting in an office chair all day or doing a lot of heavy lifting, we really end up wrecking those muscle groups. For a lot of us, professional massages are just too frivolous to consider on a regular day. Of course, special circumstances call for special treatment. On a similar topic, your Staycation would also be a great time to consider a manicure and/or pedicure. That goes for guys, too. It's a silly, antiquated convention for men to avoid taking care of things like their nails and hair. If you have fingernails, you can benefit from a manicure. Also, there's nothing wrong with a nice hand-massage. If there's one part of our bodies that take more punishment than our backs, it's definitely our hands.
These are just a few suggestions for how to go about having a great Staycation. The point of "getting away from it all" isn't so much the "getting away" part, anyway. If relaxation and a little indulgence is what you're after, there's nothing wrong with tapping the resources that are close to home.
