Nutrition by Dawn - Blog

For many families, summer is the time of year where we get our vacation fix. In 2020 though, the rules have obviously changed. Everywhere we look, people have been (rightfully) canceling events, postponing celebrations, and putting long-awaited vacations on hold. And even though we know that social distancing and staying close to home are necessary, it’s hard not to feel like we’ve been deprived of one of our major tools for recharging our batteries. 

So how can we continue to recharge without endangering ourselves, our communities, or the locals in the areas where we’d normally vacation? Is it even possible to get that same vacation fix during the time of COVID?

For my family, the answer was yes. We actually just returned home from our annual summer vacation, during which we observed all recommended social distancing guidelines. So today, I want to talk a little bit about how we enjoyed some safe-but-effective recharge time away from home—and how your family can do the same, even if traveling isn’t really an option right now.

How My Family Vacationed During the Pandemic

Back in the spring, my family canceled our would-be family vacation to Florida. While we desperately wanted to leave New England in favor of some sunshine, we recognized that doing so would have been irresponsible and hazardous to our health and the health of others.

However, when family vacation #2 rolled around in early August, I felt a little more confident about our ability to take the trip. Here’s why:

1. We chose a location at a mountain resort—Smugglers' Notch, Vermont.

2. We’ve been to Smugglers' Notch many times in the past and knew that we’d have plenty of safe outdoor activities to choose from.

3. We planned on socializing with just a few other families who would be traveling at the same time. Everyone involved had been able to meet quarantine guidelines and was in favor of practicing necessary social distancing protocol.

With all these facts working in our favor, we loaded up and headed to Vermont. There, we spent the week playing volleyball, catching up with old friends, and simply enjoying some time away from the house. 

While we did have to forego a few of our usual activities—hanging out indoors with friends and hot tubs both seemed like a bad idea—we still had a fabulous time. We came home feeling totally recharged, and our craving for travel has been satiated for the time being.

Ideas for Vacationing in 2020

If your family has a similar ability to visit a familiar destination with familiar people, then perhaps you’ve had no issue figuring out how to travel this year. However, for people who can’t meet quarantine guidelines, or who may be choosing to stay close to home for other reasons, there are still plenty of options! Here are a few ideas around recharging/vacationing given the current health crisis:

• Choose local, isolated vacation destinations. A weekend alone in a mountain cabin or beach house would do your soul a world of good! Or just pack up and spend a day at a local beach (bring lots of food, water and sunscreen!).

• Take advantage of local camping spots. If you can’t make it to an actual campground, you might even consider camping out in your backyard for a night!

• Turn your vacation into a staycation. Take a week off work and spend that week catching up on activities you’ve been meaning to get to for a while. This could be a good time to try a new hobby, start a fall garden, or finish a long-term home improvement project.

How Are You Vacationing This Year?

If you’ve found a creative means of getting your vacation fix, I’d love to hear about it. Comment below and let me know what you’ve been up to!

Looking to expand your virtual community in this time of physical distance? You’re invited to join Never Diet Again—my free Facebook group for women who want to make healthy choices that last a lifetime, not just a moment in time. Click here to join now!