I am looking forward to the upcoming week. I am sure it will benefit my writing to have a staycation for writing and relaxation when I return to my writing working hours later in August.

Writing outside

I prefer to write in a notebook when writing outside to avoid the screen reflections from the laptop. A change of location does something to my writing because I become more alert and present. When I sit with a cold drink and the scent of sunscreen surrounds me, every cell in my body relaxes.

A week without TV

As a devoted Netflix binger, this is a tough one. However, I know I will enjoy a week without the flicker from a screen. I still remember how it felt as a child when we went camping for a week without TV. It somehow makes the day feel lighter. And I just finished season two of Succession so, I anyhow need a new show to watch.

Hiking

I love my daily walks, but they aren’t longer than an hour, and I miss the feeling of walking the Camino. So I will retrieve my backpack, set aside a day, and walk until I get tired feet and a happy heart.

Games

Time for Scrabble, and when nobody wants to play, I will sit with a crossword. When I went on vacation at my grandmother’s house, we would sit on the porch the whole afternoon solving crosswords while eating strawberries and ice cream.

Come up with a writing challenge

First, this one felt like more work. But when writing this blog post, I landed on an idea that got me excited. In addition, to write and send a postcard, I will get five or seven postcards and write one to myself every day of this staycation. It will become a little keepsake from this week, and it is a manageable challenge that I will think is fun every day.

Back to school supplies

The thing I miss most about being at school and university is getting new back-to-school supplies. I love the smell of new crisp pencils and the feeling of an unused notebook. Before buying anything new, I will stock up my pencil case with my favorite pens and start a new Moleskine notebook. I already bought some highlighters, a glue stick, and some lined sticky notes. Then I will begin a wish list for the rest.

Order 5 books

It doesn’t have to cost any money. I will browse the library, and put in a reservation for five books I will read in August. To make it fun I will either find five books on a specific subject, or books by the same author, or novels set in the same country. I think I will theme it about Russia. That way, I get to travel a bit this year after all.

These are a few of my favorite authors.

Visit a lake

I could combine this one with my hiking expedition. I live by a beautiful lake and I could walk around it. I will make sure to bring my notebook and take a break by the lake.

Hammock time

It will take a bit of preparation because I don’t have one yet. I also need to find two trees in the garden where I can tie and set up the hammock. However, I can’t wait to lay down and look up into the sky and perhaps even the stars in the night.

Send postcards

Even though I am staying home this vacation, doesn’t mean I can’t find some postcards and write a flash of the day paragraph and send it as a greeting to someone I care about. I will do this on the last day of the week as a way of wrapping up what I hope will be a great week of relaxation and fun.

How would a staycation for writing, fun, and relaxation look to you?

I made this checklist as a PDF printable for anyone who wants a week of writing-related relaxation and recharging activities. (for best result print as A4 borderless)