The warm weather is slowly fading away. I’m seeing more people kissing it goodbye with trips to the beach, state parks, etc. While some people are comfortable with travel, others prefer to err on the side of caution!
We may not have to live life in a bunker anymore, but it’s important to keep in mind we still have reason to be concerned! Hello....we are still in the midst of a pandemic! Numbers of cases are still creeping up day by day. To be completely honest, that does scare me! Yes, I know more people are being tested (or brain biopsied as my mom calls it). However, there’s also more and more people traveling, having parties, and going on vacations.
I hear and see a lot of people expressing their opinions on this topic. They range from, “You need to sit in your house and only go out for necessities” to “You can’t live your life in fear. We can die any day. This will all be over after the election” (btw, it won’t be). Why can’t there be a happy medium?
This year, we had a family trip planned with our neighbors to Italy. We have been talking about this trip for years so, yeah, we were pretty devastated. Nevertheless, we planned a kick ass Italy staycation! We still got to spend time with each other, have time off of work, and relax in our back yards with delicious drinks and food.
For as long as I could remember, my family has had some sort of week long vacation every single year. It’s the one time a year we are all able to be together at the same time. Trust me, a staycation was not ideal for us, but it was something we all ended up enjoying more than we thought we would have!
Here’s some ideas on how to have a fabulous last minute staycation before the summer ends!
Clear your schedule for a few days and get ready to relax! You deserve it and you know it! Everyone needs to partake in some self love right now.
Pick a theme! Maybe you also had a trip that was postponed! Bring that place to you by having the food and drinks you would be having on said trip. I may have gone a little overboard and literally planned a menu for every single day of the week. If you’re not a lunatic like me and don’t want to cook every day of your vacation, treat yourself and order from your favorite restaurants! You can also DIY some fun decor to set the scene!
Plan fun activities! These activities can have to do with your theme. We were planning on doing a lot of eating and drinking on our trip, so we did a bar crawl in our back yards! Each station had an Italian food and drink including two different wines, apperol spritz, limoncello, Peroni, and Peach Bellinis! To make it even more ridiculous, my sister made staycation shirts with her cricut. We also had a few outdoor movie nights and cornhole competitions.
Take the opportunity to bond! For us, this was one of the only times our family and neighbors could all be together in years! We had family dinners every night, and even went fishing & kayaking one day!
Get out of the backyard and house. Yes, the point is to stay ”at home”, but you can go out to some local places! If you want to stay socially distanced, there are plenty of ways to do it! Find hiking/walking trails, places to fish, or an apple orchard! For the adults, maybe there’s a winery or brewery you’ve always wanted to go to, but you’ve never had the time. Now you can plan a day trip!
(some of the stations from our bar crawl)
I want to leave you with some final thoughts:
Please keep in mind that everyone has their own comfort levels during these times. It’s important to respect everyone’s newfound boundaries. If your friend only feels safe going to eat outside and sitting away from others, respect that! If you’re having a party, and one of your friends isnt ready for that yet, RESPECT THAT! Also keep in mind we were cooped up for so long that people struggling with social anxiety are having a hard time easing back into the world. Last but not least, make smart decisions. Don’t go to crowded parties, bars, restaurants, beaches, etc. You can “live your life” in so many other ways that won’t be putting you or anyone else you come in contact with at risk.
With love from behind my mask,
~Lex
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