I have to be honest. A staycation wasn’t what I had imagined for my two weeks off from work, but it is what it is. Ideally, I would now be lying by the pool somewhere in Italy, or explore a beautiful city, I haven’t been before. Unfortunately, this didn’t quite work out. The problem is that most of the time, I don’t have anyone to travel with and I definitely thought about going by myself, but it’s ridiculous how expensive it is. You totally get punished for being single. And no, I don’t want to get a bed in some hostel with ten strangers. That’s just not my thing.

So I decided to stay home. I could have just relaxed and done nothing for two weeks, which is often what I opt for, but for once, I made plans for almost everyday. It’s crazy how fast a vacation always goes by, no matter what you do, but I’m making the most of it. So I’m sharing things you can do during a staycation, in case you need some tips for yours.

1. Go on a special shopping spree and treat yourself
As a teenager, shopping was the greatest thing in the world. Nowadays, I hate it. It’s exhausting and I feel terrible in dressing rooms with awful lighting. Those do not motivate me to buy anything new to wear. But once a year, I go to Primark. I have to drive for 1,5 hours, so I don’t do that very often. I love doing this during a vacation because I can go on a weekday, which leaves the store a lot less full. This year, I went absolutely nuts and bought three bags full of stuff I don’t need and it made me truly happy. Now, I’ can go back to online shopping. It’s important to treat yourself, so go and see what your favorite stores have to offer.

2. Spend lots of time with friends and family
Time shared with others is usually the best. Even though I didn’t have anyone to travel with, it doesn’t mean I don’t have people I can have a good time with. When I have some time off, I especially try to meet with people I don’t see too often. This time, my god son spent a whole weekend at my place and we did lots of fun activities and I always try to do something special for him. I also visit my grandma and stay with her for a bit, even though she doesn’t have wi-fi. But it makes her happier than anything else. In general, family is pretty high on my agenda. But also fun dates with friends. Ideally, you and one of your besties are on leave at the same time.

3. Pursue your hobbies
Sometimes, it’s really hard for me to fit my hobbies into my daily schedule. So when you have some extra time, it’s nice to get back into it. I love scrapbooking but instead of just having all the things out and do a page or two everyday, I don’t and pretty much leave it for vacation time. I also have more time for writing, photography, I can do a puzzle or whatever else I like. All the things you can’t really manage during any regular week – now is the time.

4. Plan activities and little day trips to fun places
No matter if the weather is good or not, there is so much you can do. Since I have a car, I can drive wherever I want to and Germany certainly has a lot to offer. Visit a zoo or an amusement park, go canoeing with your friends, play mini-golf, listen to good music at a festival, go climbing, visit a new city or one you already know and really love or whatever comes to your mind. I could just go on and on with this list.

5. Clean and declutter
I admit, this doesn’t sound like the most fun thing to do, but since I know how great you feel afterward, go for it. I still live at home but have a pretty big room with lots and lots of stuff in it. Furthermore, I have more stuff in the basement and it’s often just a huge mess. Deep cleaning my room usually takes me like two days (breaks and procrastination included) and I just don’t really have the time or nerve to do this during a work week. And boy can decluttering work wonders. It may not sound fun, but it actually is cause you find things you forgot about and get rid of things you really don’t need.

6. Go outside
Well, this is pretty rich coming from me, but it’s the thought that counts, right?! I’m definitely not the most outdoorsy person, which doesn’t mean that I don’t know about all the great things in front of my door. I guess the problem is where I live. In my super small village, you can go for a walk and that’s it. I would definitely be outside much more, if I was living in a city, but oh well. I could also go hiking, lie by a lake, ride a bike, but none of it really is for me, although I should really work on my tan. But if you love being outdoors no matter where, go for it.

7. Just chill
No matter how many plans you have, taking time for yourself is super important. When I have two weeks off from work, ideally, I return to the office relaxed and full of energy. That doesn’t always work but at least I try. I’m someone who needs a lot of me-time, and over the past few months, I didn’t have much of it. Idiot me got too motivated though, and hardly put in chill days. But I’ve already changed some plans because after only a week, I was super exhausted and that’s just not what a vacation should be about. Always make sure to put in a chill day, where you sleep a lot, maybe binge-watch a new TV show, read a good book, put on a facemask or whatever else makes you happy.

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