Staycation

It's the holidays. Long days off work, late evenings followed by sleep ins, lazy days and precious time to relax. Although not intentionally planned, I'm having a staycation this summer. Sometimes described as a "vacation for cheap-asses", I beg to differ. I have found this year's staycation long overdue and the best way to address a a combination of relaxing, healing and rejuvenation.

Like last Christmas (and before the famous drought of 2013 hit), the weather hasn't really come to the party these holidays. We have been alternately bombarded with storms then endured endless drab coffee and Kindle days. And then the clouds clear, the wind slows a bit, the rain disappears and we have beautiful days like today. That it coincided with the first day back at work for most people in this part of the world might seem just plain cruel for others, but I am sooooooo enjoying taking an extended staycation these holidays.

So, what does one do on a staycation? Well, the answer to this question can be summed up like this: anything, nothing, or something in between. Each day starts with a sleep in of sorts. It has also seen bedtime creep progressively later, but I've decided to embrace my body clock and pay the consequences once I start work again next week. The sun came out on New Year's Eve and the wind was tolerable enough for us to squeeze in a round of mini golf (because you must always play mini golf on holiday). It was also a good hammock day, the first for this summer. I have read book after book after book after book. I have even (finally) got into reading my 2012 Christmas present to myself. We are also churning through Fatso DVDs at night and starting to make a dent in our "to watch when we have time" list.

This week has become a steady stream of social engagements now that everyone has emerged from holiday hibernation. We kicked things off with a homemade pizza night for our families last weekend, which gave me an(other) excuse to bake. I am also looking forward to catching up with more family and friends over brunch, lunch, dinner, coffee and anything in between during the next wee while. It's not all lazy days, though. We're attacking a few odd jobs around the house, albeit at a slightly leisurely pace, and I've managed to squeeze in a few long walks in preparation for Round the Bays 2014 next month.

I honestly don't know why we don't take breaks to look after ourselves more often! Surely it's a better way to live than trying to keep up a ridiculously fast pace for years at a time until we eventually burn out?