Here’s How to Plan the Perfect Staycation: 5 Tips You Need to Know

By Amelia Woolard

Summer is winding down, and the start of a new semester is just around the corner. While we hope that you were able to take the vacation of your dreams during these hot summer months, we also understand that sometimes it’s just not in the cards. But never fear! There’s still time to recreate your ideal vacation at home. Allow us to introduce you to the staycation.

Whether you’re heading to college for the first time ever or just returning to campus in the fall, a staycation offers the perfect way to relax and rejuvenate yourself before the semester officially begins on very little coin. Sure, chilling in your house for days on end isn’t very Snapchat-worthy, but with a bit of imagination, you can transform your home into a soothing resort, or at the very least, a mildly better version of the digs you’ve been holed up in all summer. Better yet, a staycation doesn’t have to be limited to your house and can take you to the coolest corners of your hometown.

So, are you ready to start planning a guilt-free staycation? Read on for a few of uCribs’ favorite ideas on how to plan the staycation of a lifetime!

Add Something Interesting to the Menu

If you’re anything like us, when you’re on vacation, you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind culinary experience—one that typically involves mouthwatering entrées, appetizers for all, and desserts so good you’ll swear you’re never going back home.

Why not replicate that experience in your own kitchen? There are plenty of opulent recipes to be found on this little thing they call the internet, plus numerous YouTube channels dedicated to the finer points of meal prep and execution. All it takes is ten minutes and a decent internet connection to learn how to roast, poach, bake, and broil with the best of them.

Depending on your location, you likely have access to a farmer’s market or two, and maybe a few specialty delis or international markets. If you have the cash, check out those spots for a fair price, authentic ingredients, and fresh produce—and you’ll be supporting local vendors and businesses in the meantime! If you’re tightening up your budget for the upcoming semester, hit up your local grocery chain for everything you need to create some tried-and-true recipes. You can even challenge yourself to create the cheapest dinner possible—trust us, we know from experience that there are many cooking blogs out there dedicated solely to this feat.

Schedule Some Rest and Relaxation

Vacation is all about relaxing and leaving the cares of the world behind, isn’t it? However, despite research that strongly backs the importance of vacation-induced rest, half of Americans return from trips completely exhausted. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a staycation that doesn’t involve stressful itineraries, draining jetlag, and a depleted bank account, but instead promotes self-healing and serenity?

So, why not take your staycation one step further and dedicate a specific block of time to some much-needed R&R? There are numerous studies that support regular “self-care” practices (AKA “me time”) and preach its many benefits, from diminished stress levels to boosted immunity and heightened positivity.

And we’re not suggesting you drop a few Benjamins at the day spa, but rather that you find something that soothes your soul and allows you a moment of inner peace—then stick to it. Maybe your R&R activity of choice is reading a good book, exploring nature, or simply turning your smartphone off for a day. Maybe you’d love nothing more than to wander your local art museum solo, lost in reflection. Maybe you’d enjoy a trip to the local dog park with your furry best friend. Whatever floats your boat, take time for yourself before the chaos of the semester begins and relish every minute of it—it will be a nice memory to have during finals week!

Explore Your Community

When you get familiar with your hometown, you can’t help but overlook certain aspects of it. It’s easy to take a place you’ve been your whole life for granted, but new restaurants open, museums break ground, and vibrant neighborhoods spring to life while you remain static, choosing to stick to your time-tested favorite attractions and activities instead of branching out and experiencing something new.

Think about it. How many times have you passed that beautiful Italian bistro, only to shrug it off and promise yourself that one day you’ll try it out? Probably more times than you can count, right?

There’s no better time than a staycation to put an end to this “woulda, shoulda, coulda” type of behavior. Why not treat yourself to an evening exploring the places you’ve always wanted to stop by, drop in, or check out?  You may be surprised by how interesting your hometown has actually become over the years!

Plus, exploring your city doesn’t have to be limited to the restaurant scene. Stop by that new bike shop for a new piece of gear to show off on-campus, drop in the local salon that just opened for a trim before the semester begins, or check out the grand opening of that brand-new rock climbing gym.

You can even make it as simple as this: if you always take a certain route to and from your house, make a cognitive effort to experiment with an alternate one instead, or make it a point to circle your hometown entirely before you end up back in your driveway for the evening. You’ll likely notice something you’ve never seen before and may even wind up stumbling upon a wonderful and unexpected adventure.

Cross Something Off the Bucket List

The best vacations usually involve doing things you wouldn’t normally do, whether it be dining on exotic, regional cuisine, going parasailing on your favorite beach, or even getting a tattoo by a stellar artist—not that we’re encouraging that! (Sorry in advance to all the moms out there.) So, what better time to cross something off your bucket list than Staycation 2018?

Consider this: you’ve got all the time in the world to yourself, and no one to answer to for at least a few days. Surely, there’s something you’d like to accomplish that you just haven’t been able to quite yet. Whether it’s a large goal or something small and simple, there’s no time like the present, so get to it! Just think about how rewarding it will be once you finally do it—whatever it might be.

Plus, a bucket list often denotes more than simply living an exciting life. According to some psychologists, bucket lists can help us become more attune to our goals and can provide purpose on days that seem meaningless. These lists can keep us grounded and help motivate us to achieve our most desired goals.

Get Crafty with a DIY Project (or Three)

Your staycation is the perfect time to whip out that Pinterest board you’ve been cultivating over the past few years and try your hand at a good, old-fashioned DIY project. Completing a DIY project feels rewarding, helps you learn a new skill, and makes for a great conversation topic with friends at your next get-together, a thoughtful blog post, or even an additional video to add to your current YouTube repertoire. Impress your friends with custom-made coasters, planters, wall hangings, rugs, bracelets, scarves, hats…the list goes on and on.

DIY projects can also allow you to customize your space in a way you simply can’t replicate with store-bought wares. Can’t find the perfect throw pillow for your dorm room? Why not dip-dye one yourself? And thanks to the never-ending supply of materials found at your local craft store or online, you can paint, pattern, gloss, or glitter virtually anything to suit your individual taste and style.

Additionally, psychologists agree that completed DIY projects tend to be more valuable to the creator, even if the finished product isn’t what you expected. As it turns out, the human mind assigns value to anything we’ve had to work to complete, which could explain why you still love that wonky-at-best water color painting of your dog.

In need of some inspiration? Much like cooking blogs, there’s an incredible array of online, do-it-yourself resources out there, and you may even surprise yourself with how amazing your projects actually turn out. For college students, we can’t get enough of dorm room DIYs including photo collages, wall art, pin boards, and desk accessory sets.

No matter what you choose to do during your staycation, there’s a way to make spending time at home fun, relaxing, and even productive. Give our tips a try, and you’ll likely find that your staycation is just as enjoyable as a costly trip out of town!

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