'Staycation' is a trendy new word. In times of recession and austerity programs, the trend towards staying at home may have rather practical reasons: people just don't want to spend their hard-earned money on such dispensable things as a getaway. Of course, some may also be put off by the enormous amount of work that goes into planning and preparing a trip. You sit in front of the computer for days and nights on end, ransacking the web for the cheapest flights and accomodations; you spend unreasonably high sums of money in the local shopping mall, investing in swim wear, travel guides, and fashionable sunglasses. And for what? After all, chances are that your vacation will turn out to be nothing more than a sequence of stressful experiences. Don't we all know the harsh reality of traveling? Delayed flights, miles and miles of traffic jams, spoiled food at the hotel buffet. So why take all that trouble, if you can just enjoy a peaceful time-out at home?
