#17 of 100 Simple Suggestions...Take a "stay-cation"

I could use a stay-cation right now, how about you? Packing and moving my place of work this week is wearing me out. I think I must have walked a good 15, if not 20 km yesterday. The thought of a vacation is too much in my present frame of mind because vacations require a lot of planning and more hassle than I need at the moment...

But a stay-cation would be perfect. I'd set a lawn chair in the sun in my backyard, get a good book, a tall glass of something nice, and relax for a while. I could go for a walk, or listen to music. I might phone a friend. If I got ambitious, I might head to the Art Gallery of Alberta to check out the latest exhibits, or take my bike through the River Valley. There are so many possibilities!

North Americans have a tendency to think that if we have a good block of time off, we have to go somewhere else. While it is good to break routine and do something new and different to give our hearts and souls a break from the usual, it isn't good when our vacations constantly involve airplanes and travel agents. Our drive for the exotic is a huge cost to our environment. After the space shuttle, airplane travel is the most extremely inefficient use of fossil fuels. Cruise ships aren't far behind. And is it fair if the richest 12% of the planet use up important resources for visiting those faraway places with strange sounding names when the other 78% are unable to travel more than 100km from their place of birth?

Somewhere in the last 50 years, we've picked up this idea that we are all entitled to see the world, but if that's truly the case, what kind of world would we have left if all seven billion of us got into airplanes and onto cruise ships? It's impossible to imagine.

For me, though, a stay-cation would be about right. Instead of spending my money on hotels and travel, I would love to see more of the attractions around here. Attend some of our renowned summer festivals. Go dip my toes in a lake nearby, perhaps. See some live theatre. Avoid a lot of driving, stay closer to home if not at home and relax more. But I suspect that's just me.

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.