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Staycation: new word, old concept

Posted by Kim McGrigg on July 9th, 2009

Merriam-Webster recently announced their new words for 2009. In addition to many tech-related words such as vlog and webisode, one of the new words added to this year’s version of the dictionary is staycation.

stay·ca·tion
Pronunciation: \ˈstā-ˈkā-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: blend of stay and vacation
Date: 2005
: a vacation spent at home or nearby
— stay·ca·tion·er \ˈstā-ˈkā-sh(ə-)nər\ noun

While the word may be new, the concept is an old one. Not to date myself, but when I was a kid, air travel seemed like a luxury–we even dressed up to fly! Most of our “vacations” consisted of driving to a relative’s or friend’s house for the day (which I guess is now being called a “daycation”; however, that word hasn’t made the dictionary yet!)

Staycation is a buzz word right now because people are stretched financially. But no matter what the economy is like, I think there are a lot of benefits to exploring your own backyard. Every state has things worth exploring and we tend to take them for granted. Would you believe that I lived in Arizona for eight years before ever visiting the Grand Canyon!?!

If you haven’t taken a good look around lately, visit the local Chamber of Commerce or Visitors Bureau to find out about free or low-cost entertainment and activities. You may be surprised to discover museums, community concerts, annual festivals, art exhibits, fairs and craft shows to enhance your summer without breaking your budget. Or consider some free “old-fashioned” fun like fishing, hiking, or biking.

Fishing

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2 Responses to “Staycation: new word, old concept”

  1. Affacturage Says:
    July 11th, 2009 at 5:06 am

    If this market driven interest rate is manipulated by increasing the money supply (money being used to measure wealth), investors and consumers are fooled into thinking that, a) Investors can make the investments and b) Consumers can keep on consuming. This creates a dislocation of consumption versus investment or savings, ending up in resources being gobbled up faster than if the investments were not made or the consumption delayed. This is the boom-bust cycle

  2. Melissa Says:
    July 13th, 2009 at 11:08 am

    We just did a “Staycation” and had a great time being a family right here in our own home town!
    We acted like tourists and found all the establishments we would encourage visitors to see.
    Our teens loved it too. As long as you’re together as a family, it can work!

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