The most sustainable trip is a staycation. 

We travel for many reasons. To escape our lives. To break from routine. To be different and carefree.

And all of these can be accomplished from anywhere. While it’s amazing to hop on a jet plane and watch sunsets from new mountaintops or sipping wine beachside, not everyone has the budget or time. And let’s get real, airplane travel has a pretty high carbon footprint.

So with that in mind, why not a staycation?

Here are our 5 tips on how to have the perfect staycation - wherever you are!

Tip #1:

Unplug. Turn your regular routine in a new direction. Go for a long morning walk/run. Take an hour or two to eat breakfast. Leisurely read at your own pace. Don’t check work emails and keep your phone off.

Tip #2:

Indulge in a cleaning service. If staying at your home, how about hiring a maid service to professionally clean your home. This will automatically make your place feel more hotel-y and will also diminish the need for you to clean your space. You’re on vacation remember?

Tip #3:

Be intentional. Decide what type of time you want - relaxation, adventurous, gourmand, tourist in your own city, etc. While a staycation does not require hefty planning, figuring out how you want to spend your time will help you enjoy the days much more. A relaxing staycation, could include a spa day with massages or mani-pedis, a new meditative exercise class. Adventurous staycation, could include indoor rock climbing, axe-throwing, kayaking on the lake, and so much more.

Tip #4: 

Set a budget. After having planned what kind of staycation you want (tip #3), try setting a budget on how much you are willing to spend. This will help set your day better, and will also give you total vacation vibes - because we’re always budgeting while on vacation, amirite?

Tip #5:

Take a day trip. Is there a spot near where you live that you’ve always wanted to check out? It could be a conservation park, ski resort, day long spa retreat, or simply a neighbouring town you’ve always been curious about. Now’s the chance. Also by going during your staycation you avoid the weekend rush. We also suggest taking a bus or train that way you can relax while heading there as well.

The bottomline: make an effort for your staycation. Don’t fall into the trap of having one because a) you couldn’t afford a jet-set experience or b) you couldn’t get the full time off. It is very possible to break from your daily routine and be carefree in your own city. Visit those museums or restaurants you’ve always been curious about but never could fit in your busy schedule. And truthfully, staying in a hotel in your own city gives you a completely new perspective. And that’s what a vacation is all about, right? 

We use things only briefly that last for generations. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that all the plastic ever produced is still here? Think of this yogurt cup from the 1976 Montreal Summer Games, found on a Canadian beach in 2016. Pretty much intact, 40 years later.

The Race for Water, out of Switzerland, released a study showing that about 250 million tons of plastic are produced each year, 35% of which is made up of items used just once, for about 20 minutes. They also talk about plastic garbage dumps, also known as garbage soup, which cover 15 million square kilometers scattered across our oceans.

Sigh, okay, but how do you actually help change this? You can start like so:

#1. Consume less overall. Plan to buy only what you need. For example, if you’re buying things for your home, consider bazaars and antique shops, where you will find far more durable metal parts, not to mention more beautiful items, none of which come packaged.

#2. Bring your own bags. They don’t have to be cloth if you don’t have them. Start by not throwing away the plastic bags you already have. Always reuse, and try to make them last. Try to increase the life span of everything you already have before you acquire something new.

# 3. We’re always mentioning this, but remember: refuse straws. Seriously. You do not need them. And if you do, consider reusing them. Save them, wash them, and don’t throw them away. Or look for metal or bamboo straws to carry with you in your bag.

# 4. Refuse bags at the pharmacy. You do not need a bag to carry a container of pills that fits in your pocket. And if you have an ecobag on hand, this will solve your problem in the case of a larger purchase.

# 5. Get into the habit of assembling an ecobag “kit”—leave a cup and water bottle near your door so you don’t forget them when you leave your house. Depending on your destination, some things will be more or less necessary. Over time, practice will make perfect and your kit may include other items like portable cutlery and cloth napkins.

# 6. Take good care of what you already have. To live a life without plastic means eliminating so-called "single use plastic,” that is, the disposable plastic that is used just once (sometimes for mere seconds). Since this material lasts forever, take advantage of its potential for reuse ~ ad infinitum.

# 7. Rethink how you dispose of recyclable waste. We've already talked about using versus not using grocery bags, remember?

# 8. Did you buy something with disposable packaging? No need to worry. First, make sure it’s clean (learn how here), and then send it on its way to a selective collection or recycling cooperative.

Even with all of the information we have, we know there are certain things that cannot easily be cut out. Things like disposable syringes for medication, certain medicines, and of course, condoms. You won’t stop caring just because you can’t completely eliminate waste, will you? One cool bit of news is that Lauren Singer's blog has an interview with Meika Hollender, co-founder of Sustain Condoms, all about, you guessed it, sustainable condoms. Looks like there is already a condom out there with a sustainable footprint, and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes more accessible.

How about starting a "30 days without plastic”—or your week without plastic—any time soon? Or maybe you’ll go for a “no plastic until Christmas” endeavor. You can start now by clearly setting your goals. We’re pretty sure it will alter your perceptions about consumption and soon become a habit!