(Sum's turn to plan a perfect family vacation for you and your family)
What's on your mind this summer...Rising Crude prices, exorbidant airfares, high inflation, high interest rates, low disposable incomes, no salary hikes, no bonus, falling share prices, money stuck in property, rising emi's or a vacation which entails being with your family, enjoying the fine things in life, late mornings, beach chair, chiiled bear, homely food, pool side barbeque, a place to stay which gives comforts of a home. Welcome to "Stayacation", a vacation starting at Rs.1/- * (all taxes, extra, surcharges, hidden costs included).
In this high interest, high inflation, high crude prices era, what better than beetting the vacation blues with some innovative thinking and sound planning. Bring out the travel planner in you and plan a "Stayacation" (a vacation at home or nearer to home). Spend your vacations at home and plan it to be one of your best and most memorable vacations. Following inputs might help:
1. Start by asking your self the following questions:
How often you have spent your free time at home (apart from your Sundays)?
How often have you spent your time home not watching TV or not being busy in household chores?
How often did you had the time to drop your daughter for a dancing class or play cricket with your son and his friends in your backyard?
How often did you watch life as it pass by you?
The answer lies in "Stayacation"
2. Create a vacation at home in your backyard, buy artificial inflatable pools (easily available in different sizes to suit your butts), a beach chair, an umbrella and some suns cream. Spend you time doing things you would normally do when on a vacation, whether its catching up on your sleep or going to a water park in town, cooking exotic dishes, playing tambola and cards, playing cricket with your son (rope in your wife or daughter, they'l love it too), having a chilled beer relaxing on a beach chair or simply sitting with your family and discussing things on and on and on. Your family will love the time you spend together and the pictures and the movie you make on will make this "Stayacation" memorable.
3. If you are a group traveller try and rope in another family for a stayacation at your home and couple it by spending a couple of days at their home. This will create an element of interest and the group will bond well and enjoy together. Engage in group activities like the age old antakshari, my favorite games likes ludo or money and if you want a nice relaxing spa experience , create the same in you bathroom with some aromatic candles, nice lighting, rose petals and hire a "masseauer" for a nice relaxing massage.
4. Plan sightseeing tours and shopping trips in between for places nearby and activities like an evening dinner at a theme restaurant or a dance party arranged at house can be good option. Role plays (not the ones like on chat) - husband plays son, son plays wife, wife plays son and daughter plays nani maa can be fun too.
5. Hire some good DVD's of movies you always wanted to catch up and do things you always missed in life (gardening for some, reading for others, sleeping still for the rest)
6. A simple idea of arranging a "Stayacation" can be so interesting to discuss and plan fro the entire family. Rope in everyone to contribute with their ideas and make it look and feel like a true vacation.
The mileage and addulation which you'l get from your family for this "Stayacation" which will be much more than a vacation where thousands and lacs go down the drain. The time spent by parents with their children is a luxury these days and what better than having a luxurious holiday with those you love. Your children will not stop talking and discussing their "Stayacation" with their friends when they get back to school and your wife will be envied lot in the neighbourhood kitties for perfecting a family holiday.
You'l go back to work happy too with smiles on your familie's faces without burning a hole in your pocket. Kudos' ! ! ! "Stayacation" is here to stay.
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