Traveling comes with a lot of baggage – pardon my pun. Especially when you are in your golden years. The staycation was designed for those of us who find relaxation right in our own backyards. There’s no packing required. You can go at your own pace – which is usually pretty slow. You don’t have obligations to be a certain place at a specific time. It’s just you and your lawn chair enjoying the beauty of nature- sucking in the fresh air – no pressure. When I retired, this is what I looked forward to.

Many families are now opting for staycations. The downside is that you still have to go about your everyday activities like cooking for yourself – maintaining a weedless garden – no room service – kind of like being in a rut. The upside is that there is no planning involved. You can decide whether you want to take a side staycation to a local museum or conservatory. You can visit historic sites withing your own hometown. You might even take a vacation from your staycation.

When we get old, we are much more compliant to staying at home. There are no wait times at the airport or the possibility that you won’t make a connecting flight. You don’t have to pack. You can sleep in. You can eat out if you prefer. Actually, I’m quite satisfied with this form of vacation. I’ve always been a home body. However, with families spread all over the map, travel becomes a necessity. The problem comes when you realize this isn’t really a vacation at all. It’s what you do when you get old. Maybe that’s why we wait until every ounce of our physical energy is spent to actually retire. By that time, we’re incapable of long, extended trips. Many of my friends still love to take expensive journeys to Japan, the Bahamas, India, the Netherlands. They pay huge amounts to take cruises and come back with some kind of communicable disease.

Now I’m beginning to sound like an old woman. If you choose to take a staycation, enjoy every minute. Don’t answer your phone. Don’t go anyplace where you have to walk too far. Stay involved in local activities that spark your imagination or creativity. In other words – live.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER DAY!