Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Project Genesis III


Summer is holiday season, the time when many people take to planes, trains and boats in search of exotic places far from home. But what if you took your vacation at home? In other words, what if you took a 'staycation'?
.
It can be equally amusing and enlightening to more thoroughly explore your own neck of the woods. This has the benefit of being ecologically friendly and a bit easier on the pocketbook. Often you can rely on public transit to get around, but even if you have to drive to a nearby metropolis, it’s kinder than using jet fuel for every holiday.
.
Here are five ideas for taking a staycation
.
1) Explore the cultural scene where you live: When were you last at an art gallery… …a play…a symphony? These are wonderfully uplifting events, and it’s a bonus that your dollars would be spent at home supporting the local arts community






2) Sightsee: Every town or city has its tourist draw. Does your city have a Chinatown...a bustling waterfront...an aquarium? When someplace new, we always do a spin on the tour bus to get an overview of our current locale. There is no reason not to do the same thing on home ground; I guarantee you’ll learn something you hadn’t previously known.
.



3) Take hokey tourist photos: This picture of me and my husband taken at the Olympic Rings at Whistler Village is a good example of holiday pics! We had a brief visit with out-of-towners as we took each other’s pictures and shared a bit of our stories. Bonds between countries are best made one handshake at a time.
.
Note: For those of you who read my previous post for Shadow Shot Sunday, this is the promised update. Responsible adults that we are (not), we took a longer-than-normal Sunday drive to play tourist on Whistler Mountain instead of doing some much-needed yard work!


4) Get into the great outdoors: Here in Vancouver, we are fortunate to have oceans to swim in, mountains to climb and the thousand-acre Stanley Park in the heart of the city with its seawall and many trails to meander along. You might not have access to the same variety, but fresh air and exercise are invigorating wherever you live.
.
5) Allow yourself to play: What we enjoy about holidays is the break from routine. With no clocks to watch, or schedules to keep, we are free to choose what we want to do. Try doing the same thing at home. Post a message on your blog that you will be on holiday for a week, and will not be checking in. (Yes, I know this one is really hard!) Keep email to a minimum; instead, go outside and play! Go sailing, play golf, learn how to throw pots or paint watercolours. Allow yourself to have so much fun that you don’t have time to look at a clock.


.
There is a Henry Miller quote that states: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
.
.
This is, of course, advice that pertains to much more than travel. Looking at your world, and your life, with fresh eyes can be the very vacation your heart needs.
.
Many thanks to Suzan at Old Grey Mare for hosting this project! It is more important than ever that we work together to reduce, reuse and recycle. To see more ideas you can readily put into use, please visit
Project Genesis at the link below...

.

11 comments:

oldgreymare said...

Of course, a natural solution to fossil fuel pollution!

Thank you so much for adding to the Genesis forum. My kids and I did stay-cations for a couple of years, of course it is very easy in Vegas :-0.

I did it for financial reasons but of course now I feel even better about it because of the environmental connection, so thank you. Maybe my gals pals and I should do this and skip one of our trips to CA....

Anyone up for a stay-cation?

Suzan

Carole said...

Me and my husband staycation all the time. Just taking day trips is fine with me and to tell you the truth taking long vacations away is exhausting!!!
I've always heard the Vancouver is gorgeous, your soooo lucky.
....but Ct is a pretty nice state too....still tons to explore!

Ella said...

I love this, so eco-friendly and great for your town or city's economy. I like daytripping, coming back and sleeping in your own bed. It makes for a fun, silly time to revisit or see new attractions in your neck of the woods! Great post!!!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

BEAUTIFUL photos, as always, and a wonderful idea. I am always amazed at people who live in the city who say they rarely go to events, or explore all the things to do and see. I love how you and Michael explore your world every weekend and wish I had been in the back seat for this trip to Whistler - one day!!!! Great post!

Maureen said...

It's really very silly how we tend to ignore the beauty and wonders in our own backyards.

Tammy said...

I live in a small country where there's not much to see and do. After being here 16 years, I've realized that so many take for granted the beauty that surrounds them while I am seeking the beauty in ordinary things every single day. Wishing you all the best. :) Tammy

Shellbelle said...

I LOVE staycations! There is so much to see and do all around me. All those places you never have the time to go when you're working. One good rule to follow though is to treat it like a real vacation. Like you said, no email, no blogging, no household chores and NO cooking. This is a great time to try out new restaurants in town, you'd do it on vacation, so do it on your staycation. Wonderful post!

Unknown said...

Every summer, I take off my watch and don't put it back on until the first day of school. Then we spend each minute we can playing!! Movies, swimming, day beach trips....I love it all!
xo
lynn

the old white house said...

Great idea! I'm sure there are many places around here that we haven't explored yet! Thanks for sharing! Theresa

erin's art and gardens said...

yes, "staycation" is a great idea! i do it all the time...even donning some headphones and taking a long walk is a staycation for me. any way to escape the everyday routine. with camera in hand, i also take myself on what i call creative fieldtrips, to find inspiration. it is never far...sometimes just the backyard.

Drawn to The Sea said...

I guess we did our part too yesterday. We also let the yard work go & spent time at the beach. I've thought about how it helps the local economy... thanks for pointing out we're saving fossil fuels too, hadn't thought about that!