What is a Staycation and How to Have One Close to Home?

For the first time in living memory, going on a vacation overseas or even domestically has become difficult to nearly impossible. The global health situation has created numerous barriers to travel in 2020, and instead of vacations a term we’ve nearly forgotten has re-emerged. Staycation! If you can’t go out to the world for whatever reason, bring the world to you. Have a vacation in your home town, locality, or even at home. It can still be a lot of fun, and if we’re honest, staycations tend to cost a lot less than traditional vacations. Plus they’re kind of safer. Now, we’re not encouraging anyone to become a long-term hermit. Eventually things will go back to normal and you’ll resume your globe-trotting vacationing. But for now, with the help of technology like portable projectors that create cinematic experiences at home, staycations more than fill the gap.

Shall we look at why a staycation can relieve the 2020 blues and be a lot of fun while you’re close to home? 

What you can find in this article:

1. What is a staycation?

2. Why staycations are a must for 2020?

3. Cool staycation ideas

Clearly a portmanteau of stay and vacation, staycation has several connotations. For some, it’s a vacation minus any long distance travel. Essentially having a vacation in your daily environs, the same area where you live and work. For others, and this may be growing in prominence these days, a staycation is literally staying put at home while going into vacation mode. That is to say, you’re home, but you’re not working from home or doing anything particularly constructive. You’re just relaxing and resting at home. You may even pamper yourself as you would in a resort or fancy hotel. While at home. Staycations don’t involve luggage, check-ins, passports, lengthy travel times, or delays. Unless you want to roleplay some of those, which you can, but we’d advise against it. 

Because proper travel-based vacations are nearly impossible right now. Domestic travel may be limited in many parts of the world, and international sojourns have become virtually untenable due to restrictions imposed by different governments. By late July 2020, international air travel was down roughly 80% compared to July 2019, and most of the 20% that remain were reserved for non-leisure travel. So staycations clearly have a role to play in a world where people still want to feel like they’re on vacation, but are compelled to stay close to home (or actually at home) due to factors beyond their control. We’re all in this together.

So what can you do while on a local or homey staycation? Let’s get you going in the right directions. And yes, that was plural, because there’s a lot you can do on a staycation. 

Most people daydream about museums in far-flung places but forget that many places of knowledge remain open and available very close to home. Art, history, nature, technology (where you possibly could take in a display detailing the history of projectors!), and more. Museums cover a wide range of topics depending on where you are. And many offer a high degree of interactivity, which is especially great for kids. Staycations therefore can be educational. An edu-cation? No, that one’s already taken! 

People have been doing this one for centuries. Hotels have a unique charm, and as soon as you step in the lobby, you’re already on vacation. Doesn’t matter where the hotel is, if it’s a remotely nice one, it could be across the street from your house, you’d still feel on holiday soon as you stepped foot through the door. So get a room, some room service, a spa, swim in the pool, enjoy the bar and restaurants. Who cares if the view from your hotel room is more or less the same as the one from your bedroom at home? You’re there to relax, unwind, and feel different. 

A highlight of your staycation can be inviting family and friends to a nice meal right outside your home. Dine under the stars and enjoy good food with fine company. If you focus hard enough, it’s like having dinner at a resort, but infinitely more affordable! Plus, you control the menu and entertainment, which can be anything from music to movies. 

Cinematic staycations call for excellent portable projectors designed for both outdoor and indoor use. These light and durable fun enablers showcase big screen joy onto nearly any surface with bright projection. You could have a movie marathon thanks to long battery life and enjoy favorite films with your audience of choice. As for the “outdoor” part, it could be your backyard again or a local campsite, park, beach, and so on. At least going outside is still OK! 

Most places have relatively-untouched areas and campsites that make for a wonderful escape from the daily routine, even during these challenging times. Just because you’re only a few miles from home doesn’t mean you can’t feel lightyears away. Take a few days to set up camp, walk the woods, brush up on your outdoorsy skills, and maybe even enjoy some movies – again. 

Wise people once said when you feel like a tourist in your home town, it’s time to leave. We don’t think those people had to live through a global health crisis with numerous restrictions on travel. In short, they were wrong. It’s perfectly fine to feel like a tourist at home once in a while, you may learn to appreciate your local area in a whole new light. Whether by yourself or with family and friends, going on one of those “touristy” sightseeing buses can be a lot of fun and very relaxing in a tense period for everybody. Hop on and start taking pics and videos – which you later can show off using your portable projector, naturally!

These are just some suggestions. We encourage you to come up with more staycation ideas, just be safe, courteous, and responsible while you’re at it!