Vacations are times to explore the world around, experience new things, and make lasting memories but sometimes it’s hard to get away, either it gets too expensive or there’s just not enough time, so you’re stuck at home. With a creative mindset, you can have a fun vacation at home too and at a fraction of the cost of traveling. The trick is to deviate from daily routines. But like every good travel adventure, every good staycation needs a plan too. So, here are some ideas to get you started:
A Walk in a park
How many times have you told yourself to get out for a walk? And how many of us actually do it? So, it a time to wear your finest walking shoes, leave your phone behind and get ready to inhale the fresh air as you walk around the local parks. With large green spaces, colorful flowers and the chirping of birds, parks are the perfect spots for finding peace in the chaotic cities. Besides, it is the easiest way to commune with nature and enjoys the bounties it has to offer.
Some of the famous parks/gardens in Delhi are Deer Park, Lodhi Garden, Garden of five senses, Buddha Jayanti Park, Talkatora Gardens, Swarn Jayanti Park, Mughal Garden, Nehru Park and many more.
Cooking
No matter where you find yourself, eating is something nobody can go without. Give your cook a day off and get your children/husband/friend in the kitchen cooking with you. Whether you bake a cake, make a fruit shake, or arrange a fruit salad, remember that you are just not creating lasting memories but inculcating healthy eating habits too. On top of that, if the end results are good it is even more satisfying to the person and the audience wink *.
We require at least 3 meals per day; 90 per month; 1095 in a year. So, what are you waiting for? Google the recipe of your favorite dish and waste some grocery.
Bird Watching
How about getting up early and watching the birds out of those naked eyes and then listening to their tweets endlessly. No wonder, they will surely gonna make you question about what are they talking about. Are they planning for the work? Or fighting over something? Or someone coaxing the another to sing? Or maybe they are falling in love all over again? Well, who knows! I just know that it feels awesome looking them chattering 🙂
Sky Gazing
I hope you all have read the story Face on the wall but have you ever tried out your hands on evening sky and find out the faces or patterns. If not yet, go out and gaze at the sky, faces will surely appear to the beholder.
Sunset
We all dream of a vacation at a place where we can watch a sunrise over a hill or a sunset at a beach but how about spotting a setting or a rising Sun at a comfort of your home or office. Believe me not but I have seen some of my favorites sunset and sunrise right from my terrace. Hence, it is a time to expand your horizon and start sparring some time to witness the glamorous Sun with chirpy birds at dawn and dusk.
Star-studded sky
Have you ever seen the sky full of stars lately? Well, I understand it is kind of difficult to find the same in the metro cities choking with pollution. Fortunately, you can still get a glimpse of countable stars and planets depending upon the season. This time check out if these stars really twinkle or shimmer right from your own terrace. There are 5 planets- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn which are visible throughout the year except for short periods of time when they are too close to the Sun to observe. You can start your journey of star and planet gazing by downloading this app – Star Tracker.
Reading
Reading can be fun just about anywhere but there’s something about lying down on your own bed while reading the bestseller with a glass of coffee and some snacks to munch upon. It makes you forget about the stress in your life and helps you transcend into an altogether different world. For instance, Harry Potter fans know about every nook and corner of Hogwarts as if they’ve been there a zillion times. That’s what reading does to you. Here are some of my favorites: Forty rules of Love, Gatsby, Da Vinci, Flowers for Algernon and many more here
P.S. Don’t forget to keep a dictionary for words that make you go hmm and a notebook for words that make your heart goes mm.
Game Nights
Remember how fun it was to play with your friends at recess period in schools? Game nights are nothing but a recess time for adults. Invite your cousins and friends for a game night and spend time talking, laughing, and reminiscing. The best part? You can level-up your friendships to certain extent and a little adrenaline is absolutely a good thing. Some of my favorite games that won’t break the bank are Poker, Ludo, Cards, UNO, word puzzles and intricate versions of charades.
Have you staycationed lately? Do you have plans to do any of these things? Or do you have other strategies for getting away from it all in your own home? I would love to hear!
