Day Tripping: The Compact Vacation Solution
Source: Van Noy, C. (2005, July). Day tripping: The compact vacation solution. News to Use, Radford University. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from http://www.radford.edu
From the microwave and fax machine to the term "multitasking," the evidence of a culture at breakneck speed surrounds everyone. People have become a 24-7, as soon as possible (ASAP), on-the-go group with minimal free time and maximal stress. Some are so busy they can't even find time for vacation. |
|
 |
Witness the new organization, Take Back Your Time (www.timeday.org), which is "a major U.S. and Canadian initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens health, families and relationships, communities and the environment." The altered tempo of people's lives impacts everything they do, including work and rest.
| "People are torn in so many directions these days," offers Susan Van Patten, assistant professor in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at Radford University in Virginia. "There is a definite trend to take smaller trips closer to home." Van Patten explains that factors like more schools switching to year-round schedules and increasing gas prices all contribute to a shift in how American families might choose to vacation in the coming years. |
|
|
"You don't have to go across the country to do something special," Van Patten continues. She suggests becoming a "tourist in your own town. As a tourist, you see everything with new eyes. Take your tourist eyes into your town and surrounding area."
The opportunities are extensive, and collecting information on what to do is becoming easier with most materials accessible on the Internet or in printed form. Every state has a tourism agency which can be contacted for materials. Check your state's website for travel information. Local visitor centers have become more popular in the past decade. Brochures on area attractions can also be found at hotels, restaurants, and rest areas.
Day trips are easier on the budget and can be accomplished with minimal planning. Contacting local universities or parks and recreation departments avails you to special events such as a concert that might top off a day of sightseeing.
But Van Patten also stresses that families consider a vacation as more state of mind than a destination. "Even if you don't go away, it's a good idea to take a mini-vacation from the world together," she says. "My mother used to call it cocooning."
The important thing is for family members to reconnect. Without the demands of an amusement park-style vacation with lots of activities and distractions, people can find time for simple conversations or even just biding time together.
This sounds easy, but won't happen without a plan. Van Patten suggests that you pick a weekend and make a conscious effort to do something simple together.
It's difficult to escape the harried pace of contemporary life. But a little junket away from routine has greater potential than you might realize. Turn off the phone, computer, and television and go camping in your backyard. Pack a picnic basket and the kids into the car and take an afternoon spin around the county. The big returns from a seemingly small investment just might surprise you.
About MINES & Associates
For over 25 years MINES & Associates has
been a nationally recognized business psychology firm that
provides a variety of services to corporate employers including
employee assistance programs (EAP), managed mental healthcare,
organizational development and psychology services, wellness
programs, behavioral risk management, disease management, PPO
services, and a number of other technology based services.
MINES & Associates is divided into two main divisions,
Organizational Psychology and Health Psychology, and currently
serves a diverse portfolio of clients in all 50 states, Canada,
Mexico, and the UK.
Please log on to http://www.minesandassociates.com for
the latest news and information on MINES & Associates.
Click
here for back issues.
|
Newsletters 