Try a relocation

Change the scenery, even if you can’t take a vacation

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that if a vacation isn't in the
cards right now, try a relocation. Sometimes just changing your

(00:24):
scenery for a while can be enough to give you
a lift. Many a parent has noted that when you
have kids, going on a vacation isn't really a vacation
in the sense of being relaxing. Going to the beach
or Disney World or a relative's house is mostly just
a relocation. You are still responsible for getting everybody fed

(00:47):
and dressed and in bed at the right times, and
keeping everybody safe and happy. Even when you're away from home.
It is not exactly my ties on the sand and
sleeping until noon. But you know what, as long as
you realize that, then your relocations can still be enjoyable.

(01:07):
You can have fun and create memories through the sheer
novelty of the experience. A similar logic holds even if
you don't have toddlers. There may be responsibilities that you
can't take a vacation from right now, whether that's your
own work or supervising your older kids remote learning. But
Even if you can't take a full vacation, consider a relocation.

(01:33):
You can take your responsibilities with you while you enjoy
being in a new place. I hear from a lot
of people that they are tired of staring at the
same four walls all day. Well, you know what, maybe
you don't have to. This past summer, my family spent
three weeks at the beach. The kids camps had all

(01:54):
been canceled, and my husband and I were figuring out
that we'd both be working from home for the foreseeable future,
so we relocated to the Jersey Shore for a while.
Both of us did several hours of work per day. Indeed,
I'm not sure how many people we work with even
knew that we were somewhere else. But the kids got
a new place to play and could walk to a

(02:15):
nearby ice cream parlor every night. I could see the
ocean from the desk where I put my laptop. It
felt enough different after several months of not leaving the
house to be rejuvenating, even if there were still five
kids to deal with. So if I have piqued your
interest in a relocation, here are some possibilities to consider.

(02:35):
Perhaps you could go to the mountains or the beach
or a lake. Soaking in natural beauty is uplifting and relaxing,
and you're not at much more risk of catching or
spreading COVID than you would be at home. Maybe you
could move in with close family or friends for a while,
or rent an arabianb near loved ones. You could use
your time near them as a chance to reconnect. You

(02:56):
might find yourself getting help with child care too, especially
as people are getting vaccinated these days, and as rapid
testing is becoming more available. You might be able to
do this more comfortably than at any other point. In
the last year, lots of people who are working from
home are realizing that they could move somewhere else if
they wanted to. If you are considering moving to a

(03:17):
new city or town, or if you've always wondered what
it would be like to live someplace else, well try
it out for a month or so. You could rent
a house or apartment in a place you're interested in,
or to a house swap with people with a similar
family configuration in a different city. You live in their
house and they live in your house for a while.
When work in school are remote, you don't have to

(03:39):
be as tied to home as usual, So consider whether
you might be able to get a change of scenery
even if you can't let go of your ongoing responsibilities.
When you're already working remotely, there is no reason to
feel that you are stuck at home until the next
time you take vacation days or your kids have a
school break. Consider whether you might be able to work
in a slightly more remote location for a little while.

(04:01):
I know we already have sometime booked at the beach
for next summer, even if I do hope that more
travel will be available to in the meantime. This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

(04:24):
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast pod that's b the number four then Breakfast
p o D. You can also shoot me an email
at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com
that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

(04:47):
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For
more podcasts from My Heart rate you visit the I
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