I’m retired. Woo hoo!! Most of my friends have good retirement funds – financial plans that paid off – money in the mattress – stocks and bonds – all sorts of resources including Social Security benefits which have become our main source of income. In other words – my friends often take trips to various places like Japan, The Dominican Republic – Greenland – Europe. Some opt to take trips right here in the USA. There are many wonderful options right in our own backyard. My backyard is now a construction site, so a drive to Nowthen is probably the closest place we can go to escape. Nowthen is a little suburb of Minneapolis which was undoubtedly named by a Norwegian. When my friends talk about their trips to wherever, I always chime in with my destination of South Minneapolis, which is also unlikely because of other road construction preventing travel within our city’s infrastructure.

A while back, someone came up with the idea of a “Staycation.” This means you skip all the travel arrangements, expensive camping gear, luxury hotels, airline tickets, dining out and the like. You stay home. I’m not sure if this idea came up before or after the pandemic, but for some of us, it’s the best idea yet. Your gas budget stays intact. You don’t hear the question, “Are we there yet?” You spend a little bit more for food than you normally would. You can watch the Travel Channel to get away to those remote places you’d never see otherwise. You can order Chinese, Italian, Greek, Mexican, Mediterranean, German food and have it Door Dashed to your front door without having to lift a finger. You can take trips to local museums, parks, art galleries or theatres to liven it up a little. Board games might be a final resort for boredom – or a good game of cards. My point is you don’t have to spend a lot on a vacation to have fun.

Personal bonding time happens during the course of a staycation. You get to know each other through this experience and have a whole week or two to do it. You might find out that your family is really special, unique, praiseworthy, intelligent and fun. By the end of the first couple of days, you may choose otherwise, but hang in there. It will get better. By the end of the week, you may still be talking to each other. You may even discover a whole new side of yourself that’s been hiding under a pile of work for the past year. Don’t discount this option. It might be what you need to bring new life back into your family. Have a happy Staycation!