One thing we know for sure is that the world is unpredictable. Therefore, our schedules become unpredictable and will sometimes expand into the space that we book for downtime, even with the best of intentions. A staycation can be the perfect solution if you cannot travel far because of Covid restrictions, or you do not have the ability to leave for a longer duration.
In the past 2 years, we have missed out on our “normal” vacations and although the tropical drinks and listening to the waves seem like the only thing that will allow me to fully unplug, that has just not been possible. The Real Estate Industry has been the Wild West for quite a while now. My husband and I are both full-time Realtors and I am running a Real Estate team in one of the two fastest-growing small towns in Canada (read the article from the Ottawa Citizen here) in which we just opened our new team office in December of last year.
It is GO-TIME
That, coupled with having to constantly adjust to kids' schooling, any sicknesses that pop up, and trying to keep a bit of a routine in my life for sanity purposes, I have found some new types of vacations that may become a go-to.
Make a Theme Night or a Retreat Spot in Your Home
2021 was the year we did this one and it was a blast! Our kids still talk about it. To be honest, I was not in the mood at all to “pretend to go away” but in the end, it was a great memory and certainly works in a pinch.
We designed plane tickets, packed snacks in a carry-on, and got dressed in our summer clothes in the middle of February. We made a theme night with Mexican Food, fancy drinks played Caribbean music, and bought a game called Go Vacation for the kids game consult. You can check it out here. Keep in mind, our kids were 11 and 7 at the time and thought this was the BEST THING. I highly recommend it if you have kids.
Another great option is to create a room in your home like your bedroom that has a nice spa or beach theme to it. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest if you are a DIY person, or drop me a line here and I can recommend a fantastic designer that can help bring your vision of a retreat room to life. The big plus here is that you are also adding value to your home! Some of the biggest Buyer trends in 2022 that I have observed are mental health spaces, home gyms, meditation rooms, and spa-inspired bathrooms. We added a health room in our house at the beginning of Covid and it was the BEST decision.
Stay at a Local Hotel or Airbnb
Once a quarter, I book myself into a local hotel and it is MY time. I call it my creative break to allow my thoughts to run and brainstorm all of the ideas that have been percolating. As an entrepreneur, I have an intense schedule and this allows me time for free thought. My ideas can grow, develop further and I accomplish SO much in this time that I can no longer afford to skip it. Ever. A book that I loved on this topic and others is Deep Work By Cal Newport. You can get it from Amazon here.
Some would argue that this is not a vacation if you are working, but let me clarify. I LOVE to be creative and I do always get to be in my day-to-day schedule. This leaves me feeling depleted and distracted and uninspired. So this works very well for me but there are rules to ensure that it is effective. The biggest one is that I must unplug completely. This means I need coverage for my home life and my business and I know not everyone has this luxury, but even one night away can have incredible results. You will LOVE it.
Book a Road Trip
This was our newest adventure and much to my surprise, it was a HUGE success all around. I was pretty burnt-out on a Friday recently and decided to go online to see what I could book with as little planning as possible. My search started and ended with a recommendation from a friend to Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls. I signed up for their email promo, received a 30% discount, and booked it for that Sunday. We hit the road, were there in 5 hours, and we stayed for two nights and stopped at the falls on the way back. This is a great place if you have kids because they have quite a few activities including the water park, a Magiquest which is a scavenger hunt with points, a magic wand, and cool clues. The theme was very cool and the staff was incredibly friendly. The biggest bonus was the meal package, making it a no-cooking vacation which should really be a non-negotiable, in my opinion.
I am sure there will be a time that we can enjoy our longer vacations to our favorite destinations, but I love that we have been able to be tourists in our own areas to support local businesses and explore places we have not considered before.
Author: Tanya Evoy, Real Estate Broker and Team Lead
Evoy Real Estate Team RE/MAX Affiliates Realty.
You can email Tanya here or call direct: 613-285-4214
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