Refresh Yourself: 6 Ways To Take A Vacation Without Leaving Home

A couple of years ago my husband and I decided to take a vacation trip from our home in California to Washington DC. Although we had been there before, we wanted to see the sights again, especially the various museums like the Smithsonian and the Lincoln Memorial.

The trip turned into a disaster from the start because when we arrived at our local airport in time for an 8:30 AM flight we found that it had been delayed, and delayed, and delayed. As a result, we missed all our other connections and finally arrived in Washington at 2 AM the next day! We were so jetlagged we couldn’t leave our hotel room for 24 hours.

Do you wish that you could get away for a short vacation but don’t have the time or money? Wouldn't it be nice to take a trip without all the fuss of traffic, airport searches, jet lag or bad weather?

Here are six ways that you can feel relaxed and coddled without leaving home or spending a lot of money. You may not be able to find an entire day to be by yourself, but you can feel renewed anyway after only a few hours of self-indulgence. Remember to turn off the phone before you get started.

1. Pamper Yourself
Create a spa experience for yourself. Relax in a yummy bubble bath. Lounge around in comfortable clothes and sip your favorite drinks, exotic tea, wine, fresh juice, imported coffee and nibble on your preferred delicacies. You may even want to recline on some fancy pillows, put on some soothing music and meditate.

2. Go To The Movies
Leave your cares behind for a while and drift into fantasyland. Indulge in watching movies that are special to you, the kind that others in your family think are silly or corny. I love to watch old Technicolor musicals like Gigi, Meet Me In St. Louis, or Lily. Sometimes I enjoy a good cry when the lovers part as in Now Voyager, a very old black and white picture. Now is the time to stream a show with your favorite stars or indulge in your favorite genre: mystery, sci fi, or romance, when others aren’t near to interrupt you.

Another opportunity that you can take advantage of these days is binge-watching episodes of TV series that you either missed or want to watch again. Thanks to Netflix, Amazon.com or Hulu you can feast on whole seasons of dramas, soap operas or even reality shows that appeal to you. Don't forget the popcorn.

3. Dance At A Concert
Instead of watching entertainment, you may get more pleasure from listening. Thanks to iTunes, iPods and other technology, you can listen to almost anything that has ever been recorded by any musician living or dead. As you listen to your favorite band you might find yourself dancing around your house and singing along.

Turn on all the music of your favorite performer or musician. Listen to Broadway shows or the songs from film favorites. I have a CD of seven different artists performing the same classical piece and another of eight different versions of Pachelbels’ Canon in D that can puts me into a wonderful trance.

4. Time Travel
Your vacation at home can include re-visiting other places that you traveled to earlier in your life. Now is the time to watch home movies of those excursions near or far to distant cities or countries or perhaps to a family or school reunion that have been sitting in the back of a closet or a shelf in your garage. Do you have movies from your childhood or precious memories of your own children growing up?

If you don't have films I bet that you have lots of photos either in albums, boxes or on your computer. Take a loving trip down memory lane to call up recollections from your childhood, camp adventures, school trips and pictures of your children when they were younger, or family members from long ago. Sometimes this feels bitter sweet when you recall those happy times and think of loved ones who may no longer be alive.

5. Read A Good Book
Have you ever gotten hold of a book that you simply couldn't put down? Every once in a while I find that it is 1 AM and I have to force myself to go to sleep because I want to read just one more page to find out who done it or whether the lovers will live happily ever after.

If you're a book lover, this is the best opportunity to have a reading spree without anyone bothering you. You may have a Kindle or other digital reader, so even if you have no paper books handy you can still download one in seconds. I recently discovered that my local library offers eBooks that are free and can download when ordered from my computer. Having so many free or low cost choices is like going to a smorgasbord and allowing myself to read my fill instead of eating it.

6. Have A Feast
One of the best things about vacations, cruises or exotic trips is often the wonderful and varied foods that you allow yourself to indulge in. Although your home retreat keeps you from roaming it doesn’t mean that you can't have a delightful gustatory experience! Now is the time to treat yourself to your favorite foods. Are you in the mood for Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, or Indian food? Maybe a great deli treat or flaky croissant is tempting your taste buds. Call the nearest restaurant that delivers and treat yourself royally. Bon Appétit!

I hope that you keep these ideas in mind when you decide to try a staycation. Be aware that you don't have to vacation at home by yourself. You can create a romantic vacation for two without leaving home as well!

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