The Incredible Shrinking American Vacation

 
Once upon a time the average American family would pack up the car each summer and go on vacation. They would travel the interstate highway system to such great places as The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Knott's Berry Farm, or even Disneyland! During the last quarter of the twentieth century Americans often flew to far away places like Hawaii, Mexico, The Bahamas, or even Europe! These vacations which once occurred annually usually lasted a full week or two. This was the reward for eleven plus months of working the All-American forty hour work week. Recently however the annual weeklong vacation seems to have gone out of style around here. The travel ads of yesteryear have all but disappeared from my newspapers, magazines, and billboards. In their place I’ve noticed a new phenomenon with all new terms.

On my radio last week I heard a local hotel pitchman tell me that I deserved a "staycation" at their fine local facility. I’ve also noticed this word “staycation” in a few print ads over the past summer. Apparently a staycation is just like a vacation except you don’t go anywhere. No passport, no jet lag, no currency exchange; just stop the mail, pack your bags, and drive fifteen minutes. Welcome to not quite home! “Honey, you forgot to pack your dress shoes for dinner tonight. Oh, that’s okay dear we’ll just swing by the house, and pick ‘em up on the way.” Ahh, this is livin’! This is the staycation the radio told me I deserved. Also, because there’s not much to do fifteen minutes from home, you can squeeze in a lot of staycationing in just two days, which is as I found out how long a staycation package lasts.

But what if a staycation just isn’t right for you? If you can’t afford a two night hotel stay because you lost your job, or if you’re working six days a week to keep your job, you might be in the market for a “daycation.” That’s right; I saw it on an advertisement just yesterday. A local spa suggested that I should spoil myself for a whole day with a "daycation" at their exotic establishment! In at ten, and out by five. I suppose I could mail off the postcards around noon. I’ll have to unpack fast when I get home. I want to catch the six o’clock news tonight to see what happened while I was away on daycation.

I remember just last year thinking that a week wasn’t enough time for a real vacation. Whenever I was on one of my week long (nine days including both weekends) vacations I’d invariably end up talking with some Europeans on holiday. The conversation would always go the same. What was my whole vacation was just a one week stopover on their two month tour of the entire western hemisphere. Oh, how I dreamed of taking a two month vacation someday. A vacation with more than a single destination. But now I’d gladly settle for one whole week (nine days including both weekends) anyplace away from here.

Well, all this writing and dreaming of foreign travel has me worn out. I think I’ll go take a nap now. No, on second thought I think I’ll take a “laycation.” Afterall, I deserve it.