Why Not Try a Vacation at Home?

YOU have two weeks’ vacation, and you really do need a change! But you just cannot afford the cost of travel at this time. What can you do?

Well, remember, a vacation is a respite from the routine, an interval of rest or relief. So why not try a vacation at home? There are certainly plenty of things to do there. You can paint, or take photographs, or pursue other hobbies you seldom have much time for. There are places and things right in your home area to see and enjoy. A vacation at home has many advantages. Just to name a few:

▪ No need for a passport or visas

▪ No need to exchange money

▪ No problems with another language

▪ No inconveniences at customs or immigration

▪ No packing

▪ No costly air fares or gasoline bills

▪ No precious time lost getting there

Now, don’t you feel better already? Why, you can even sleep as long as you like in your own comfortable bed that you are so used to!

The important thing in connection with any vacation is planning it. For some people the anticipation is as exciting as the reality anyway. A vacation at home will also require good preparation so that you do something worthwhile that you really enjoy and that satisfies you.

What to Do at Home

On vacation many people take photos as mementos of the occasion. They travel thousands of miles to photograph things you may have right at home. Try taking pictures of a field of daisies, of a dandelion close up, or of a tiny creature on a twig. Perhaps you have always wanted pictures of your old school, or the house where you grew up, or Grandma’s dear old farmhouse just outside of town, but you could never seem to get around to taking them. Do it now!

And speaking of photographs, what about those boxes of family photos you intend to place in albums someday? This is an opportunity to do it. The whole family can enjoy looking through these reminders of the past. If you come across good shots of family or friends, how nice it would be to send some to them!

Travelers often collect souvenirs. Now, what could you find at home? Perhaps some unusual stones for a terrarium or just a bowlful of them as a conversation piece. You will be amazed at how entranced small children can be with mere stones! Can you think of other things? Seashells? Autumn leaves? Shrubs and plants (even weeds!) to dry for decoration?

What about those family members or friends you have been wanting to have over for a visit? Ask them over for a cup of coffee or tea. Ask older ones to relate tales of their youth for the benefit of younger ones. Why not record the stories? “Old Ben” might not be around much longer.

When on vacation, many send postcards to loved ones and friends. For a vacation at home, catch up on that bundle of letters in the desk drawer. Let your friends know you still love them and have not forgotten them.

Where to Go at Home

If you had visitors come to your town or city, where would you take them? What could they see? At first you might think that there is not much of interest, but that is often because we take our hometown for granted. Investigate what is there. See what the local tourist bureau or chamber of commerce recommends to tourists. You may be pleasantly surprised at what is available.

Is there a museum nearby? Or a factory that offers tours? Some candy or chocolate factories give not only tours but samples too! So do some wineries. A local farmer may be willing to show your children the animals​—how to gather eggs from chickens, or even how to milk a cow. It will be good for them to learn that milk does not originate in a bottle or a carton.

You may spare Mom cooking by visiting ethnic restaurants. With their particular food​—Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Greek—​and their decor, and perhaps music, you can easily imagine you are dining in a foreign land.

But what if you do not have such restaurants in your town? Then why not create the experience at home? From the library you can get information about how people dress and eat. Imagine that you are in India, for instance. A cookbook with recipes for Indian curry dishes will give you a start for a meal that is not too difficult to prepare. You could even adapt their manner of dress for the evening.

‘Ah,’ you say, ‘but camping lovers in the family would not consider it a vacation unless they go camping.’ Could you make do this year with your tent in the backyard? You might also settle for some unhurried hikes in the nearby countryside and while there collect wildflowers and watch some animals and birds.

Since holiday time is usually a good time for building family ties and doing things together, would it not perhaps be more beneficial to do so at home in familiar surroundings? Try it.

Refreshment From Catching Up

Then there are all those jobs around the house that you never seem to have the time for. But would that physical work be truly refreshing? Well, would it not be a relief to start back into your regular routine after vacation contented that at last that leak in the roof is repaired, all the knobs are on the drawers, and those squeaky hinges are silenced once and for all? You may expend no more energy doing that needed work than you would playing games, swimming, or hiking.

And who has not at times wanted to do more reading and studying? It will not be boring. Research any subject of interest to you. Take down from your library shelf a bound volume of The Watchtower or Awake! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself sidetracked and reading other delightful articles. Suddenly it is time for lunch or supper. You won’t believe how fast the time passed. But relax! Remember, you are on vacation.

Joy in Creating a Home Vacation

Be innovative, use your imagination, and maybe when this present vacation is over, you will realize: ‘I’ve really enjoyed this! I must do it again!’

So now, what about it? Perhaps you’ll want to get the family together and plan a vacation at home. Get their ideas. If you live alone, get a good friend to join you in planning for it. Then try a vacation at home. It may serve just as well as an away-​from-​home vacation to give you that desired interlude in your busy life.

[Pictures on page 23]

Walking in the countryside, visiting a farm or a museum, or even leisurely reading, can be included in stay-​at-​home vacations