Ten Ways To Liven Up Your Staycation

Ah, summer’s finally here.

The time of beach parties, grand summer cruises, and exotic trips….unless you’re in college and broke and having to pick up a summer job or internship just to have food. Yes, it can be discouraging when you open up social media and see so many people posting about their awesome time on vacation. But just because you’re bank account is limited doesn’t mean your fun has to be. In between those summer work shifts, it is indeed possible to actually enjoy yourself on your staycation.
 
Volunteer Find a local charity or non-profit group that is important to you. Whether it’s the arts, a local soup kitchen, or picking up trash, they’ll appreciate your time. You’ll get to make a real difference in your community, do something you care about, and meet other like-minded people. (Not to mention that warm, fuzzy feeling you’ll get)
 
Check out a local gem Okay, so maybe you can’t vacation in the Bermuda’s. But just about everywhere, there are some cool, fun spots within a day’s drive that are worth exploring. Parks, restraints, museums, or that one tourist spot that you swore you’d never go to but is actually kind of awesome in a cheesy way.
 
Catch up on that movie/book/TV show list. We all have that infamous list of books we want to read, movies we wanted to see, or TV shows to binge watch on Netflix that we just haven’t had the time to dive into during the school year. Libraries and your streaming service of choice should be able to assist you in that department for little to no cost.
 
Teach yourself a new skill. The advent of the internet has opened us up to online tutorials of pretty much anything you could want to learn from juggling, playing an instrument, to even learning a new language. Take advantage of this to teach yourself to do something new. Not only will you have helped pass the time, but you’ll have another talent for a party trick, a hobby, or even a bonus in your marketable skills.
 
Reconnect with an old friend. Who doesn’t have at least one person they’ve fallen out of touch with and wish they hadn’t? Text, message, or whatever your preferred form of communication is, and see if they’re interested in getting together to catch up.
 
Work out While this may not be the most “fun” thing to do, but the obvious benefits will hopefully outweigh the grind of exercise. Even if you don’t have a gym membership, grab a workout buddy and do some running, stretching, yoga, or whatever you prefer.
 
Allow yourself to relax. Seriously, allow yourself to take a breather for a little bit. School can be stressful, and these summer breaks are probably the last ones you’ll have once you graduate, so soak it in.
 
Happy summer everyone, and stay safe!