Keep your staycation from getting stale

Another year, and time for another staycation at your apartment. If you can’t afford to go on vacation yet again this year, we empathize. Times are still tough, but there’s no reason to let those valuable vacation days – that you can’t get paid for and might expire if you don’t use them – go to waste.

By now you’ve probably already exhausted the more obvious options for a stay-at-home vacation – your nearest beach or lake, the closest amusement park or theme attraction, and of course the great poolside relaxation opportunities at your apartment complex. Rather than revisiting all those highlights again, what can you come up with to make this year’s staycation less stale?

Here are a few staycation suggestions:

Visit something historic. You’d probably hit up a museum, a historic site or some sort of cultural attraction if you were on a real trip, so why not check out one that’s close to home? If you’ve been there before, choose a museum with an interesting temporary or rotating exhibit. If possible, try to see something that’s free and you haven’t already visited a time or two. Even if it’s just a local park where you can read a book under a shady tree, you’ll be experiencing something new.

Head out for a walk. You’d surely go to see some stuff on foot if you were checking out a new city, so try the same heading out straight from your apartment. Is there a nearby coffee shop you haven’t tried because you’re always rushing off to work? Any type of entertainment or shopping within strolling distance? Try seeing your neighborhood through the eyes of a tourist and you’ll surely come away with a few great new discoveries.

Meet the people at the “resort”. Invite your neighbors to join you on your vacation with a weeknight cocktail poolside or even a “Bring Your Own Grilling Supplies” barbecue in the complex common area. You might get to have some more interesting conversations if you have more than a few minutes to chat before rushing off to your usually busy life.

What’s your best plan for this summer’s staycation?

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