Live Like You’re On Vacation

Most people associate vacation time with travel and getting away. 

Two years after the spring and summer Covid lockdowns of 2020, people are getting away and going places in record numbers.

Travel is up 130% from 2021!

But most people spend their time on their jobs and everyday living; not on vacation. They need to work to make up for lost wages, lost jobs, and lost opportunities that stemmed from Covid, despite government subsidies and programs.

When you are stuck in the rut of going to a job or working from home, plus dealing with household chores and family needs, daily life can be filled with pressure and stress.

There are ways to turn a pressure-filled daily life into a perpetual vacation if you make the effort. All the things that make a vacation getaway so fabulous can be part of your daily life.

When you go on vacation you mentally decide you’re going to get away and relax. The physical separation from your job and home help make that possible, but it is your mental attitude more than anything else that allows you to have a great time.

Here are just some of the ways to live like you’re on vacation by changing up your routines and your attitude.

Take a short trip. Take one day each week to go someplace you’ve never been. Even if it’s just to try a new casual restaurant on a week night. How many new places and experiences are just a short drive from your home?

Search towns and cities near you online and find out what there is to see and do there.

You’ll be amazed at how much there is to explore and experience close to home. Take pictures to post and share. Sharing your fun through photos enhances that “get away” feeling.

Devote some of your time to things you love. What are you passionate about? The 10 most popular things that interest people are cooking/baking, doing things with pets, being in the outdoors, arts & crafts, gardening, photography, sports and fitness activities, cars/motorcycles, and music. There are lots of ways to indulge in what interests you if you just explore them.

Sign up for a cooking class, visit a nearby public garden or nature sanctuary, take your dog on a hike in the woods, go kayaking on a river you’ve never been on, or go to a local car show or concert. Don’t procrastinate – participate!

Try something new that you’ve always wanted to do. Chances are, you’ve probably tried new things when you’re on vacation. But you don’t need to be on a trip to do that. New things are there for you wherever you live.

What have you always wanted to know how to do? Learn a new language? Try your hand at pickle ball, develop your artistic side, ride a horse for the first time, go ziplining over a gorge, take a helicopter tour, learn how to sail a boat or play the guitar. Or, maybe you could create a funny video to post on YouTube or try your hand at a podcast.

Or, make it something more personal like watching all 100 of the best movies of all time or read all the books on the list of 100 books everyone should read. Post what you think of each movie or book and share with friends. Accomplishing something new is energizing.

Set aside personal pampering time. What are your purely luxurious indulgences? They could be as simple as a lazy day reading a good book, getting your thrills at an area amusement park where you can feel like a kid again, enjoying a day of spa services where you get made-over from head to toe, going white water rafting on the nearest river rapids, or enjoying a gourmet dinner cruise or train excursion.

Life will always be a vacation for you if you allow time for the things that clear your head, relax your body, and add tranquility, adventure, sensations, and laughter to your life. Reward yourself with some “vacation” time.

The best way to stay mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy is to switch out the stress and hassles for things that improve your quality of life.

“Never underestimate the importance of having fun.”

Randy Pausch

If you enjoyed this blog and know someone else who would enjoy it, please share it.