6 Ways to Feel Like You’re on Vacation at Home

While officials race to administer COVID-19 vaccines to as many folks as quickly as they can, millions of Americans wistfully stare at their passports and sigh. While travel restrictions will eventually lift, what can you do in the meantime when you need a break? Here are six ways to feel like you’re on vacation at home — even if you spent much of 2020 within the same four walls.

1. Create Ambiance

When you walk into an upscale spa hotel, luxury embraces you like a warm robe after a hot bath. All of your senses come alive — create the same ambiance at home.

Start by cleaning up any clutter. You don’t have to deep clean, but nor do you want to worry about stepping on Legos. Put a few drops of your favorite relaxing essential oil in your diffuser, dock your phone and pull up some relaxing spa tunes on YouTube.

It’s a wise money move to upgrade to dimmable LED bulbs for lighting ambiance. Another option is using battery-operated candles to set the mood.

2. Prepare Some Festive Beverages

One of the joys of vacation is delicious beverages any time of day. Start your morning right with a lavender vanilla iced coffee so tasty that you won’t believe it didn’t come from your favorite barista.

When it’s time to switch to drinks for those 21+ only, there’s no grabbing a cheap beer from the fridge. Provision yourself to make delights like caramel snickerdoodle martini or Rumchata hot cocoa.

3. Go Gourmet With Minimal Mess

Maybe you don’t have a four-star restaurant on your rooftop, but you have DoorDash, and that’s almost as good. If you can afford to order takeout, go ahead and do so. The restaurant industry took a pounding in the recent pandemic — please tip well.

If you are on a tighter budget, get your food prep game on point. Before you start your holiday, prep some fancy finger food recipes so that you have an array of glam snacks to nosh. 

4. Prepare Some Spa Indulgences

A resort trip isn’t complete without a massage or a pedicure — but you can recreate the indulgence at home. Learn the art of giving a massage with your partner beforehand so that you can swap treating each other.

Elevate your bathing experience by taking a tea bath. All you need are Epsom salts and relaxing brews like lavender and chamomile.

5. Play Tourist in Your Hometown

Nearly every town in America, no matter how small, has a quirky museum or two. Arm yourself with your camera — or phone — and play tourist in your hometown.

Hop on Google Maps and identify your itinerary. As you make the rounds, try to visualize your town through a stranger’s eyes. You often take the place where you live for granted, and you might find a new café or quirky shop that you passed by when not paying attention.

6. Relax With Those You Love Most

Ultimately, the purpose of many holidays is to relax and reconnect with those that you love most. Let the whole gang contribute ideas — maybe your oldest wants to hike your town’s highest peak while your spouse prefers a movie marathon. Schedule time for both on your vacation at home.

Feel Like You’re on Vacation at Home With These 6 Tips

If you still feel iffy about travel, you’ll have time to fulfill your wanderlust as things return to normal. In the meantime, enjoy a vacation at home with these tips.

About The Author: Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more! Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

Photo by Camille Brodard ~ Kmile Feminine Creative Designer on Unsplash