Alleviation in Staycation
Photography by Dan O ‘Connor
Every summer, many Virgin Islands’ residents take their annual vacation and flock to all corners of the world for a hard earned break; however, with flight costs, the burden of leaving a property, yacht or pet and the hassle of traveling for several hours (or sometimes days!), ‘Staycation’ has become an increasingly popular option.
The key to a successful ‘Staycation’ is to incorporate the aspects that we enjoy about vacations, especially living in the Virgin Islands—a tourist hotspot overflowing with holiday vibes—and eliminate the tensions of normal daily life.
Here are a few ideas of how to have a rejuvenating vacation at home:
(1) Make your house into a luxury resort: Invest in some new luxury bedding to make your bed your own personal oasis –nothing says vacation like a good nights sleep. Pack away items that are not needed for your vacation week, creating a clutter free environment. Light scented candles around the house –Hang a hammock on your balcony for long lazy afternoon reads – Take personal pampering to the next level and hire a masseuse to come and spoil you right in your own house – most BVI spas have a house call option.
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(2) Eliminate the boring chores: What most of us enjoy about being on vacation in a hotel or rented property is not needing to worry about the boring daily chores like cleaning, ironing and laundry. Splurge on a cleaner to come in a couple of times a week to take care of basic chores so you don’t need to worry about them. Or, take a day before your ‘vacation’ starts to get ahead on all those chores so you can ignore them for the next week.
(3) Take away the distractions: If you are always glancing at the kitchen clock to check on the time, take it off the wall for a week! Set your email to reply with an ‘out of office reply’ and turn your phones to silent – only checking messages to suit you, if at all!
(4) Eat and drink like you are on vacation: Everyone knows that calories consumed on holiday don’t count, so stock up on all those yummy foods and snacks that you would normally try and avoid. Spurge on expensive wines and invest in a good blender to make tropical frozen drinks. Enforce a daily cocktail hour, and get inventive coming up with new drink ‘specials’.
(5) Stress-free meals: Some of us find cooking a relaxing experience and relish the extra time in the kitchen. However, cleaning up afterwards is never fun. Whenever, we are on vacation with family, or have visitors staying, we insist on the ‘servant for a day’ rule. One person is responsible for all cooking and cleaning for one day and then they can enjoy their days off guilt-free. If you prefer to get out of the kitchen altogether, visit a new restaurant every night, especially exploring ones that you haven’t had a chance to try before. Alternatively, book up a whole week of takeout meals.
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Taking a week to enjoy your house and surroundings can be the most relaxing and rewarding vacation time you spend, especially in our exotic Virgin Islands. With very little planning, expense, or stress, staying at home will feel just as good as a luxury holiday away.
Fran Morrell - House BVI
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