New Word “Staycation” Brainwashing the U.S.
Boy, “staycations” sure are getting a lot of press these days, aren’t they? Maybe it’s just us, but THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A VACATION!
Yes, we understand the limits people face in this economy and that one of the first things to go will be an expensive trip abroad or across the country. But calling it a “staycation” doesn’t make it cute and fun. If I’m allergic to cats, get a cute tabby and call it a guinea pig, I’m still going to be sneezing up a storm because guess what? It’s still a cat.
For those of you who haven’t heard this hateful term, here’s what Urban Dictionary gives us:
“Staying at home during your vacation instead of traveling to a pleasure destination. This can be caused by high gas prices, or just a shortage of money.
We wanted to take the kids to Niagara Falls, but with gas over $4 a gallon, we instead opted for a staycation.”
In CNN’s article about staycations, David Mitchell says he gets “the most bang for my buck” by staying home and not traveling (no doy, traveling is not a moneysaver, it’s an experience).
CNN also claims:
“The staycation alternative also can be a welcome relief from travel stress. Airports can be dehumanizing, Serlin says. “It’s very disorienting to be in those tunnels, indoors, breathing packaged air, seeing nothing identifying, there’s no neighborhood there,” she said. “The landmarks that usually cue us in about who we are [are absent].”
Gee, good thing we decided not to do the “Airport Vacation” this year where you just sit around in airports and planes all week.
Here’s another gem:
“For others, the strangeness of different cultures or languages, figuring out foreign currencies or worrying about lost luggage can take a toll, McLean says.”
[Head banging desk…]
Come on, we all know that vacations and travel are never perfect experiences, but don’t try to convince yourselves or us that staying at home is a decent substitute. We agree that we should all get out and experience our hometowns more often but that’s what weekends are for, not staycations.
What’s next in the way of made-up words? How about a “weighcation” where you go on a diet for a week instead of going on a vacation? What about a “laycation” where you lie around eating bon-bons and watching Jerry Springer all week? How about a “daycation” where you take one day to pretend you’re on your way to Fiji?
Oyveycation.
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So, if I live in Silver Spring, MD and decide to go DC for a week… Is that an “staycation” or is that still a vacation because of the zipcode differences?
I agree, everyone needs a time to get away from their normal life for a real “vacation”. However, I will say that I am so wired to associate time off from work with travel or physically going somewhere, that sometimes I do think about how nice it would be to stay home and vacation in my own city — without having to worry about work or chores. Not that it should be a substitute for time spent abroad or relaxing on an island somewhere, but it is very rare that I actually get to wake up when I want, sit on the patio with coffee and a newspaper, and just enjoy the things in my own city without having work or responsibility looming on the horizon. I know what you’re going to say, that’s what weekends are for. But after being wound up all week, it takes some time to unwind and catch up, and it seems that by the time I’m relaxed Monday is back. So I’d be down with a several day “staycation”, just not as a substitute for the experience of traveling.