Staycations suck: So do the right thing and get out of your house
Staycation. Who coined that term? Definitely a sucker. Staycation is just another way to say “you’re grounded” with stay at home punishment.
Staying at home while you’re on vacation from work is punishment. You end up spending the time transfixed in front of the TV, doing some odd jobs around the house and telling yourself you’re happy with having stayed at home during your week off.
Sure, you got a lot done. CSI, Ellen and NCIS reruns are now seared into your memory. Secretly, you’re kicking yourself because another vacation week was wasted, you have no good stories to tell, you learned nothing new and to top it all off, you have to return to work on Monday.
Sometimes you really can’t go anywhere, those on temporary layoff or 
furloughed from work are requested by their company to not leave town so that if needed, they can call you back.
Very similar to a CSI Miami interview where Horatio knows you’re guilty but can’t plant the evidence just yet – “don’t leave town” he’ll be in touch. This type of time off is not really a vacation because we all know, you’re checking e-mail and still working, just not getting paid for it.
For those of you who take your vacation and stay at home – Shame on you! There is a world out there that is calling your name. The excuses to use vacation time at home are many.
Home renovation, repairs and landscaping can fill a year’s worth of weekends, so why not knock them all out at once. No. You’ll only resent your home and/or your spouse if you use your vacation driving to Home Depot 300 times. Hire someone to do the work and you’ll be happier as you’re sipping margaritas on that white sand beach just outside of the all inclusive resort.
Work is a reason. Why if you’re on vacation should you worry about work? How could anyone think they’re so important that their company can’t live without them? Seriously, if you’re that worried about your job, you’ve got a problem. Find a new job or get over yourself.
All you need to do is set up a good system to ensure you won’t be missed on vacation, your management will appreciate how smoothly you handled your job while on vacation. See where I’m going with this? If you set it up, management sees you going above and beyond your duties while on vacation.
Money is another reason cited for staying at home during vacation time. Lame excuse. Money is nice to have, but it shouldn’t be the reason you can’t get out of town. There are endless possibilities of taking a vacation with a strained wallet.
• Camping – KOA campsites are cheap, usually close and you’re out in the woods roughing it (probably by the pool). Losing cell phone coverage is a double bonus.
• Destinations within a five hour drive – Gets you out of town and exploring a new city.
• Travel site “last minute deals” – All travel sites (Travelzoo, Expedia, etc.) have last minute deals. Sign up and find the one that fits your desires and wallet.
• Realize you don’t have to use every day of your vacation from start to finish outside of town. Short vacations are cheap and actually pretty good. Go to Vegas Monday through Thursday and the entire city is on sale.
So, no excuses. Shut up and pack. And hopefully, no more news stories on the wonders of staycations. No matter how rosy a picture the news tries to paint it, staycations suck. Get out there and explore. Staycations are for suckers.
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