As I packed up my stuff and headed back home to the quiet piney woods of East Texas, I found myself wondering what in the world was I going to do with myself for the next week. While my friends drank questionable drinks on Mexican beaches, shredded the slopes up in the mountains, or got down with their bad selves on the streets of NOLA this St. Patrick’s Day, what was I going to do at home with all this quiet free time? I’ve begun to realize that, not only was I probably giving my parents an extra 5 years of life and a little less grey hair by not jet setting off to Cabo, Gulf Shores, Panama City, or some other beach where the alcohol runs more aplenty than water, but I was also getting an actual break, which isn’t that supposed to be what this is all about? If you too find yourself dreading the idea of a staycation but also without much of an alternative here are some tips to make the horrible dismal reality of being at home an actual break and an enjoyable one at that.
1) Go exploring.
Chances are as much time as you spend at home there’s so much of it you haven’t seen. Sure you know where the neighborhood Chipotle is and the quickest way to the nearest Redbox, but do something different. Even if it is just finding a new burrito place, now that you have no need for a beach bod, get out there and try something new. Your friends are counting on you if nothing else, find the cool new hangover cure for them, make it your mission. Whether it be an outdoorsy unknown paradise, the town’s best Bloody Mary, or the greasiest and yummiest pizza, they’ll be needing your help getting back on their feet for the next week or so. Might as well treat yoself in advance and try it all.
2) Unplug.
So let’s be real here, trolling Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and all your other guilty social media pleasures, is only going to make you miserably envious. You can live without all of that for a bit and what better time than now to give it a go? Put your devices to the side, and pick up a book, head outside for a walk, just experience life anywhere rather than through the screen of your phone or computer. School is chalked full of overstimulating technology and social media interactions so why not give yourself a little r&r? Notice your surroundings, experience a little Eat Pray Love action, and listen to the sound of silence for a bit.
3) Revisit your old to-do lists.
All semester long we’ve been making these crazy plans and coming up with these wonderful ideas, but of course they get swept under the rug and trampled by the reality of homework each and every time. But now’s your time to shine. Read that novel that’s sat on your nightstand untouched since January. You know you’ve always wanted to paint or garden or learn the dance from the Bieb’s Sorry music video, so why not get the ball rolling now on a new hobby now? Do the pile of laundry that is sitting on your floor next to the pile of clean clothes, maybe even clean your room while you’re at it? The possibilities are endless and the world is your oyster, you’ve just gotta get out of bed and pry yourself away from Netflix to realize it.
So maybe staying at home is really a blessing in disguise. Not only will you not come back sun burnt, nauseatingly hungover, or with any broken bones, but you have all this time to devote to you now. With homework minimal, social commitments out the window, and nearly 9 interrupted days or rest and relaxation ahead there is so much to accomplish and not one of them requires you to pull an all-nighter at the PCL so rejoice!