We know. We’ve said over and over again “Staycationing is greener than vacationing! You’ll save money! You’ll get to know your community!” That’s all true – those are all benefits of staycationing, especially in this economy. But what if you’re just really over being at home?
Take a Holiday…
I was watching the Kate Winslet/Cameron Diaz movie The Holiday recently. In The Holiday, Kate Winslet is fed up with living in her charming English cottage during the dead of winter and glamour girl Diaz is sick to death of her California mansion during Christmas. Christmas should have snow, she thinks. And so, she and Kate trade houses, so Kate gets to stay warm and toasty during an LA Christmas and Cameron experiences the joys of peace and quiet.
…In Someone Else’s House
So, if you’re sick of staycationing at home, here’s a wild, green travel idea. Trade houses with someone you trust for a weekend. It’s like housesitting, except your friend isn’t leaving town. Your friend’s at your place, and you’re at theirs.
Someone You Trust
This of course has a few spokes in the wheel – obviously make sure that you’re trading houses with someone you trust to be in your house alone. Set rules about what they can and cannot do (because what good friend won’t go through your sock drawer or raid your closet?). Make sure your friend (or family member) knows if they can eat whatever’s in the kitchen or do they need to bring their own food? Where can they sleep?
The same goes for you. What will you be allowed to get into while you’re there? Are there rooms you have to leave alone? Or can you explore every nook and cranny?
Interesting Concept
This experiment might work best if you trade houses with someone who lives in a different area than you do. What’s their surrounding neighborhood like? What’s the last thing that person sees when they go to sleep at night? Is it sedate or exciting, quiet or noisy? This idea isn’t only green – it’s a kind of social experiment during which you’ll be walking in the footsteps of another person. What will you take away from it?
