Being able to take a vacation is a goal every family aspires to. If you can get away from the grind of work, house chores, and the mundane, why wouldn’t you? Of course, taking a vacation isn’t just about breaking away from your tiresome routine. As any healthcare professional worth their salt knows, vacationing reduces stress, makes you more productive when you return to work, and can actually reduce your risk of coronary disease by 32%.
Unfortunately, the world still hasn’t fully recovered from the Great Recession, the global economic crisis that destroyed 7.9 million American jobs. Thanks to this seismic shift, 76% of Americans can barely manage to get from paycheck to paycheck, let alone worry about getting away with the people they love most.
As gas prices continued to rise and job loss forced families to become more conservative with their spending, the idea of travelling thousands of miles became a pipe-dream for a huge number of people. They say that necessity is the mother of invention; just because Americans couldn’t afford to get away doesn’t mean they no longer needed to. Because of this need, the “staycation” was born.
What is a Staycation?
A staycation is a vacation where you stay at home or within your local area. Some people quite literally stay at home, reading books, watching movies, and spending quality time with their loved ones. Others have beautiful, natural wonders of the world in their backyards where they can go with friends and family to relax in the fresh air and comforting embrace of mother nature. In a nutshell, if you take vacation time but you plan to stay in your local area, you’re taking a staycation.
What Are the Benefits of a Taking a Staycation?
Taking a staycation comes with many of the same benefits as the more traditional family vacation. However, because you’re not going far, staycations offer even more to the average American family.
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Huge Savings
Because you don’t have to travel for a staycation, it is one of the cheapest forms of relaxation. Keep in mind, the average price for gas in the U.S. is $3.66 per gallon. That adds up quickly, even if you only plan to go 100 miles for a traditional vacation. By taking a staycation, you avoid exorbitant fuel prices, the cost of hotels, and all the other financial pitfalls that come with traveling.
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You Don’t Have to Waste Time Travelling
When you take a vacation, do you really want to spend your time getting more stressed out? If you have to drive, or even if you have to fly, it can be a completely stressful experience. Staycations mean you never have to worry about traffic, delayed flights, or wasted time.
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You Can Connect with Your Family
Too often, taking a family vacation is a self-defeating exercise. You’re travelling so that you can spend time together without the everyday distractions. However, travelling to an amusement park or across the world ends up bringing just as many distractions. By staying close to home, you’re given the opportunity to talk with one another and connect in a way you’ve been missing.
There is a misconception that taking time away from the world with the ones you love has to involve a lot of money and a lot of travelling time. Why not stay at home? There you can enjoy a vacation, without the usual downsides.
