Go your own way

MANILA, Philippines - It’s become quite popular. So popular, in fact, that it warrants its own name. They call it “staycation.” Taken from the words “stay” and “vacation,” it refers to those long weekends, Christmas breaks, and the Holy Grail of all vacations  Holy Week  when you stay home rather then fly off to the province or abroad. You spend your vacation staying at home.

Sounds boring? Well, think of the alternatives. Leaving during the Christmas break means dealing with the airports at their worst. It’s like a market but with carry-on baggage, boxes and babies. The lines are incredibly long and snaky. Or think about the stress of trying to get a reservation for the flight and lodgings during Holy Week. These are serious problems that can already foreshadow the stress that you are trying to avoid in the first place.

Manila is actually at its finest during these long breaks. The traffic is never as bad. In fact, you can get to Quezon City from Makati in less than 20 minutes during Holy Week. There is no else on the road. It’s super fun. Malls have breathing space (except during the Christmas rush, but after that it’s quite cool).

The downside is that if you don’t prepare in time, you might find yourself literally stuck at home with nothing to do.

Here are some ways to perk up your staycation.

Gather the flock: A lot of people find themselves unprepared and without a plan during the long weekends and the holidays. Call ‘em up and make plans ahead of time. That way you are sure to have some company at home.

Be game to play: Game nights are always a blast but imagine starting from the afternoon. How many rounds of games can you fit into a 2 p.m. to midnight game session?

Swim fan: You are bound to have a friend who lives in a condo with a pool. Barring that, maybe a friend with a membership to a club with a pool. If push comes to shove, a blow-up pool might be funny and everyone else can take turns while tanning.

Take lessons: Best time to try out something new. Take a personal yoga class or reserve a salsa teacher to staycation with, you guys.

Be Dora: Why not explore the city? Works best during Holy Week when the city is empty. Go to places you normally wouldn’t go to because of traffic. Perfect time to do it, trust me.

Start a marathon: Best time to do a movie marathon. Watch all eight Harry Potter movies all over again, in costume too, if you like. Or maybe Lord of the Rings? Watch the whole first season of your favorite television show. Whatever you choose, it’s your chance to catch up on the things you’ve missed because of your busy schedule.

Room service: Make it a complete vacation. Get a room for the weekend. You are assured of a gym, a swimming pool, a huge ass bed that you don’t have to fix up every morning, a bathtub, and a huge-ass television. All of this depending on the kind of hotel you get, of course. Call in friends for the evening for some party time and watch somebody else clean up the mess for a change.

Get some rest: Or, instead of making a big thing out of it and finding ways to make up for still being in town, you can just really relax, shut your phone off and rest. Stay in bed and sleep until you can’t sleep no more. After all, isn’t that what a vacation is really about?