For many Americans, summertime is vacation time. Part of the reason for this is because the traditional American school year includes a three-month break for the summer. This makes it easier to take an extended trip of a week or two with the kids. Additionally, the weather is warmer than other times of the year, making travel easier.
There are different ways to take a vacation:
- Road trip. The whole vacation is a road trip – for example, drive around Lake Michigan or Lake Superior.
- Hotel / resort. Travel to a destination – such as a hotel or resort – and then relax at that destination for several days.
- Visiting family. Take the opportunity to visit the grandparents or other relatives, especially if Grandma and Grandpa live out-of-state.
- “RVing.” RVing means “living on the road in an RV,” or recreational vehicle (= camping car).
- Camping. Spend your vacation in the great outdoors, making your vacation a camping or fishing trip.
- Rent a vacation home. Rent a vacation home for a week or so and unwind.
- Educational trip. Combine vacation with education, and take the children to visit famous historical sites, such as Civil War battlefields or the numerous historical attractions around the Washington, D.C. area.
- Amusement park. Take a trip to Disneyland (in California) or Disneyworld (in Florida).
- College Visits. If you have teenagers who are thinking about going to college, include a visit to check out several college campuses as part of your summer vacation.
- Staycation. If you don’t have the money to travel, or you don’t want the hassle of traveling, take a “staycation” (= stay vacation) and relax at home.
Regardless of your preference, a vacation is a great time to step aside from the daily grind of work or your normal routine, and “recharge your batteries.” In this day and age of instant, constant communication (email, internet, cell phones, etc.), it’s perhaps more important than ever to take some sort of break – whether physical (going away somewhere) or mental (“unplugging” from electronics) – and spend some time in self-renewal. So, let your friends and colleagues know that you’re going on vacation, and you’ll be unavailable for several days. Hang out a virtual sign, as it’s sometimes put in the vernacular:
Gone fishing ~