How to Take…
THE PRETEND VACATION OF YOUR DREAMS
Regular vacations are important. They grant us a reprieve from our day-to-day jobs, chores and responsibilities. They break our routines, preventing ruts and precluding boredom. They broaden our horizons, exposing us to new cultures, different languages, fresh cuisines. They offer a change of visual scenery. Some vacations offer pure r & r, affording us deep rest in a pressure-free environment.
However … planning a vacation can be overwhelming. There are health concerns, summer crowds, stranded cruises and canceled flights. Just the idea of sleeping on an airport floor can make us need two more vacations.
For those of us over 55, the physical and mental energy required to embark on a big vacation can be daunting. Many of us aren’t as spry as we were, nor as energetic.
Then, of course, there’s the cost. Your standard vacation can break the bank.
But do not despair—you can have a relaxing, rejuvenating vacation using a small amount of money and manageable energy. Presenting, the Pretend Vacation!
A Pretend Vacation is when you stay close to home, treating every day, all day, like a holiday. You might decide to visit a new beach every day, lolling in the sun. You might opt for a cultural vacation, using each day to visit museums and galleries within a manageable drive. You might decide to do a ramble, ditching the GPS and driving to destinations unknown. You might mix it up. But you will have an itinerary, like you would on a regular vacation. You will be eating in restaurants and cafes, like you would on a regular vacation. You’re just waking up and going to sleep in your own bed.
Unlike the well-known Staycation—when you take precious time off from work but use that time for entirely un-fun activities—a Pretend Vacation is all fun activities. There will be no cleaning out of closets, no filing of back taxes. A Pretend Vacation is a real vacation, minus the jet lag.
What you will need:
Plan to take at least one full week off from work, school or caregiving. Ten days is better. Ten days feels like a real break.
If you’re the caregiver of a sick or disabled loved one, you’ll need a fill-in. Arrange for a trusted and competent caregiver to take over, and then do your best to not feel guilty. If anyone needs a Pretend Vacation, it’s you.
A clear calendar. During your Pretend Vacation, there will be no teeth cleanings or annual eye exams. Barring emergencies, you don’t see doctors or accountants on airplane vacations, so you’re not seeing them on your Pretend Vacation, either.
A small to medium budget for transportation, fun activities and meals out. The meals needn’t be fancy—you can eat in cafes, take out from taco trucks, or buy bread and cheese from a farmers’ market. You just won’t be cooking meals (or cleaning up) for the duration of your Pretend Vacation.
An idea of what you want from your Pretend Vacation. If you’re in a relationship or part of a family, you need to confer. The best vacations—actual or Pretend—are when everyone’s on board.
An itinerary. The best vacations have structure, even if it’s a loose one. Pretend you’re tourists. What do you want to see and do that you have never seen or done, even though it’s 30 minutes away? If you live in Los Angeles or other metro area, there are nearby neighborhoods so culturally diverse, it’s like you’ve flown several time zones away. Consult travel guides. Make a list. Get excited.
Before you begin your Pretend Vacation:
Clean your house. It’s more relaxing to wake up and fall asleep in a clean house. Your Pretend Vacation will not include vacuuming.
Pay or pre-pay your bills.
Change the outgoing messages on your phones and email. Your new message says you are out of town for 10 days and you’ll call them back upon your return. Unless you’re a surgeon, keep the message checking to once daily.
If you’re planning a beach vacation, spring for a new swimsuit, like you would for an expensive, out of town vacation. Buy a new straw hat for your forays in the sun. Even fun new flip flops can put you in a Pretend Vacation frame of mind.
If you have dogs that require walking, make arrangements. They’ll be thrilled to not see suitcases. Make sure to stock plenty of pet food.
Maybe you’d like to add a News Fast to your Pretend Vacation? If you’re a classic hard-copy newspaper reader, you can put paper delivery on a vacation hold. You can also put your mail on hold; out of sight, out of mind.
Throughout your Pretend Vacation, you need two things:
Discipline! You’re sleeping at home, but you’re on vacation. You undoubtedly respect other people’s vacations, so show yourself the same respect. No work calls, no laundry, no lawn mowing!
A Vacation frame of mind.
The “pretend” part means you’re not spending a boatload of cash on planes, hotels and rental cars. But the benefits of a Pretend Vacation? They’re as real as real can be. Bon (pretend) voyage!