We're all going on a summer holi-stay
Hello you smoke on the water.
Psst.... I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the last gasps of summer are here.
I know. I kinda can't believe it either.
Time feels at once so important and so meaningless.
But I digress.... #jklol
This week, to honor what is/was Summer 2020, I thought we would dip into a cornerstone of this year's summer experience: the staycation
But first, confession time: I have never been a big "vacation" person. While my relationship to the productivity flywheel has decidedly changed for the better in recent years, I have always felt that when I want to take a break from the day-to-day grind, the last thing I want to do is get on a plane. I mean, I like to travel. And I am deeply grateful for the exposure I have had to the wide and wonderful world while living and working overseas for so many years. But whether then or now-- do I feel the need to travel to an exotic locale to feel like I have relaxed and "gotten away from it all"? No. And the very few times that I have gone on a proper vacation trip, I came home feeling like I needed a vacation to recover from my vacation.
So... staycations! Hooray! The reality is that no one can travel right now anyway, so I don't really need to convince you of the awesomeness of staycations either way. It is in your best interest to love them too, since that is basically all we've got. But in case you are in need of a little convincing, I love staycations because:
You get to define for yourself what you need to feel restored and refreshed; and in so doing
You save tons of precious resources (including time, money, patience, general sanity) and are able to spend those resources on the things that actually mean something to you
You create opportunities to more deeply acquaint yourself with your community and appreciate the world around you; and in so doing
You create memories and experiences that are local and have more resonance, context and relevance in your day-to-day life, potentially extending those "vacation-y" vibes and giving you ongoing chances to put yourself back into that holiday headspace
Human beings ruin everything eventually, and so of course there is a burgeoning cut-throat staycation economy blossoming right now. But predictable sigh-worthiness aside, I think the staycation is a pretty accessible, empowering and nourishing way to spend one's precious free time.
And thank god for that. Because for those of us in the northern hemisphere, as the summer wanes, embracing the staycation is going to become less of a choice and more of an imperative.
Maybe you haven't had a proper, relaxing summer holiday yet and want to plan a mini (or maxi) staycation before the summer really ends. Maybe you want to start thinking about what "getting away from it all" can look like as the colder weather starts to put a damper on our outdoor socializing. Some of the things I have enjoyed as a staycation aficionado:
Tending to plants: Whether it's my grown-from-seed patio experiment this summer (my god, I hardly recognize myself when I consider the pride I feel for my scraggly tomato plants), or the tapestry of indoor foliage that I enjoy year round-- I do feel the hunger for connection to nature while in quarantine, and while my plants are but a sliver of what is available out there, I have thoroughly enjoyed the ebbs and flows of my small menagerie of vegetal companions
Exploring new parts of the city: I mentioned that I am not a great vacationer. What I failed to mention is that I am also a terrible tourist. And when it comes to being a tourist in my own city-- FORGET IT! I am the WORST! Thankfully I have a creative and restless sister who is much more skilled at appreciating the quirks and hidden (or not so hidden) gems that give character and charm to the city, and I can ride on her local-tourist coattails. While I am not sure I would have mustered up the inspiration to do it myself, I am very grateful for her, and for the new perspective on the city I thought I knew. Ottawa has so many parks to walk in-- who knew?! I don't know what my advice is for you on this one--- I guess get yourself a sister who has a different but complimentary skill set to your own, get her to live in the same city as you, and then follow her lead... Did I mention I am a terrible local tourist?
Stopping for a bit: There are a few silver linings to the pandemic. The Black Lives Matter movement is one of them. And on the other side of the coin, did you know that COVID has caused to longest and deepest reduction in human noise on record? The possibilities for stopping and being quiet in this moment are more abundant than ever before. And in case you didn't know, stillness is crucial for your brain and breathing is a lost art that can change your life. So stop already! That said however...
Making something: It can be making a jankily-painted greeting card. It can be tie-dying pillowcases. It can be re-covering your light switch plates with colorful paper. It can be making a batch of hard candies. It can be hand-writing a letter to someone. It can be pulling out your instrument and improvising some music. It can be making reusable wax food wraps. It can be making an pink elephant out of sculpting clay. Just take the time to make something. Anything. In my experience, the satisfaction that comes from creating things means it is always time well spent.
What are some of your favourite things to do on a staycation? I would love to hear your suggestions. Or why not share your discoveries with the Pandemic Joy Project and help others find their staycation bliss.
Either way, I hope you have enjoyed this unique 2020 summer experience, and are looking forward to more staycations as the autumn begins.
Of course summer isn't over JUST yet. Please enjoy this lovely summer-y poem (and especially the last lines) from the wonderful Mary Oliver:
________________
The Summer Day
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper,
I mean- the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open,
and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with
your one wild and precious life?
_____________________
Feels like an appropriate sentiment with which to move from summer into autumn, all while grappling with massive social and political transformation in the middle of a global pandemic...
But wait! Perhaps all of this talk of vacationing at home is feeling a bit too intense on a sunny Sunday morning? Well then why not check out the 68 to 05 playlist project and distract yourself with some music from your youth
Still too much realness? Then please enjoy this full video of the Nicholas Brothers and their performance in "Stormy Weather"? I was always struck by the quick clips of their dancing in the "Uptown Funk" video montage (a favourite!) but had never seen their whole routine--- amazing!
From one staycationing person to another, I am glad that we can find our bliss locally together. I hope you enjoyed this dispatch, and have a long-haul-travel-free week!
Until next Sunday,
The Earnest Platypus