Staycations and the Delight of Simplicity

According to one source, “staycations are the new vacations,”

and though travelling away from home is important sometimes for exposure to new experiences, I’m a big fan of staycations, and my family has purposed to take one every few years since our kids were little. With the rising costs of inflation, limited time off work and school, and the hassle that traveling creates (especially when it requires flying), this upward swing of “staycationing” highlights ways families are resourceful and creative in curating purposeful quality time that doesn’t throw schedules or pocketbooks into mayhem. As one first lady put it,

For us, winter is the perfect time for a staycation because the cold and often sunless days following the holidays can become a bit depressing. True, Valentine’s Day is thrown in as a chocolate infused deviation from the regular schedule to ward off winter blues, but planning something to look forward to adds some anticipation to a time of year that doesn’t always have a lot to anticipate.

Our staycation lasted from Friday evening to Sunday midmorning. But for those who get Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Presidents’ Day off, Monday might be an option for additional flexibility.

Children’s utter delight in the simple things never ceases to amaze me.

What a blessing that we can provide our children with joyful experiences that will morph into pleasant memories by doing simple things like swimming together, riding an elevator, or getting ice cream.

This year’s staycation also reminded me of why boundaries and simplicity in our daily life is important: so that the special moments actually feel special and so that special doesn’t have to become extravagant. If our kids had screen time every day, then snuggling up together on the couch for two movie nights in a row wouldn’t have felt like such a treat. If we ate out weekly, then a weekend of meals away from home wouldn’t feel like a change of pace or palette.

Every family has their own rhythms and routines of how they both keep structure and relax at home, and that should fit each family’s needs and values. But this year’s staycation reminded me that I want to keep my children delight-able. And I want to keep myself delight-able as well. The 24-hour accessible cappuccino machine and bubbly water dispenser at our hotel evoked a similar response in me to what a snow day may elicit from a school aged child. And I hope I can continue to find happiness in the little things.

My life doesn’t feel glamorous; it doesn’t feel elaborate. There may be times I see the sparkle others’ lives appear to possess and imagine what it would be like to have something similar. Yet I think the truth is most of us lead regular lives that feel more ordinary than extraordinary. Looking at the simple life Jesus chose to lead on this earth and the simple lives the apostles led in imitating him, this seems to be what we’re called to.

When I compare my life to a life of true simplicity or deprivation, mine feels bougie indeed, as even these oh so ordinary lives with simple pleasures would appear impressive to so many with less than we have. My talking about a staycation as a form of simplicity is true compared to a big excursion but false compared to the lives of those who are in poverty. Things tend to be relative to one’s own experience when thinking about luxury and lack. But in terms of the ways in which our lives may feel simple, these ordinary lives also help us to retain the ability to relish in modest comforts.

Social media and advertisements often highlight a glossy visual of an exciting and trendy life in which indulgences and entertainment are the norm. But my family thoroughly enjoyed our staycation because it is not our norm.

Fresh flowers on my breakfast tray charmed me, and getting to eat Domino’s pizza in front of the tv while watching Mr. Magorium’s Magic Emporium charmed my children. (They knew not to get used to it!) I’m not sure if anything charmed Ben – but I promise he still had fun.

So, if you see spring break looming on the calendar horizon

and you feel some regret that your family isn’t going on a cruise or ski trip or beach vacation, just remember there may be a time and a place for that. But in the meantime, or if not, there is delight to be found in simplicity.

Maybe you can find it in a night away at an Airbnb as you play a board game together in a house you’re not responsible to clean. Or maybe you’ll find it by visiting a local spot in your community where you can commit to several hours of uninterrupted family time. Wherever you find it, be sure to look at your children’s faces – they are our example of how to be delight-able.