*cation

My Vocabulary Lesson:

Staycation: Taking time off of work but not leaving the general vicinity of your home. Activities include: sleeping in, eating too much, surfing the couch and cable channels, maybe the occasional day-trip to towns nearby. Most likely taken for dentist appointments and doctor's appointments. Laptops and/or blackberrys are nearby and the risk to work is high.

Vacation: Taking time off of work and leaving the area. The Out of Office Assistant is turned on to direct all inquiries to someone else for the time being. These breaks are almost always out of the country ("Sorry, no cell service/internet connection/sobriety!") and are always too few and far between. Coming back from these feeling relaxed, recharged and sometimes hungover is a given.

Oblication: Weddings, funerals, births, graduations, milestone birthdays...etc. The key to feeling relaxed after these trips are to set aside at least a small amount of time to do something that is not obligatory: a night out with long-lost friends, meals at your favorite restaurants and naps!