What is a staycation?

Urbandictionary.com defines “staycation” as “A vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.”

That definition seems about right. Spending a vacation at home or close to home. But I think the best way to define a staycation is this:

A vacation in which the vacationer stays at home, or near home, while creating the environment of a traditional vacation.
But what does “creating the environment of a traditional vacation” mean?

It’s pretty simple, really. It means getting out of the rut of your daily life. It means not planning a stay-at-home vacation that combines leisure time with cleaning out the garage, building bookshelves, and a trip to get the car repaired. That’s not a vacation at all.

People have been spending their vacation days that way for years. Every now and then you need a few vacation days just to catch up on everything, or at least not fall further behind. I guess you could call that an “efficiency vacation,” but it’s probably better not to call it a vacation at all.

So just as with a traditional vacation, create a start and end date for your staycation. Then try to keep as much of that time reserved for fun, relaxation and activities that don't include a household cleaner.

*** "The Great American Staycation: How to Make a Vacation at Home Fun for the Whole Family (and Your Wallet!)" is now available. You can find it in stores or online.