How to Rescue Summer: The Sequel

A few weeks ago, I took my own advice and faked a vacation of sorts. I called it a “semication,” because currently I have no paid vacation time. I could have rearranged my work schedule to take a week off, but I felt like I would be perfectly satisfied working for four hours and then relaxing. And I was right.

During the last few days of my vacation, I decided to share my experience on Facebook. I was surprised by the response. A number of the people who commented said they felt inspired.

So I decided to share my story here. I won’t bore you with the details of every day. I’ll just go into depth on one day and give you highlights from the others. Of course, nothing I write here is meant to be prescriptive. You might not enjoy my vacation. Instead, I hope to inspire you to think of ways you can “seize the summer.” It’s not too late.

How I made work fun during my semication

Honestly, it helps that I enjoy my job. Working half-days really wasn’t a drag. But I also put extra fun into work by listening to music and sitting outside when the weather permitted. There’s no reason not do those things more frequently, so I’ve been trying to add them to my work days now.

How I avoided chores and errands during my semication

Staycations and I have never gotten along well. There’s always work to be done at home, and I have a hard time ignoring it. I had to push myself to avoid chores during my semication.

While I didn’t avoid every scrap of housework, I did a pretty good job. Here’s how I managed:

• I planned ahead. I’ve written before about the value of spontaneity during vacations, but if there’s ever a time to plan carefully, it’s when you’re getting ready for a staycation. If you have a hard time not doing housework while at home, you must have a plan. What will you eat? Will you use paper plates to save on washing dishes? What do you need to have on hand? A plan is also useful so that at the end of your vacation you don’t say, “Wait! Where did the time go?”
• I started my semication on a Sunday, giving myself all day Saturday to get ready.
• I figured out what had to be done so that I could relax during my hours off. Then I focused my attention on those things. This meant getting groceries, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, changing the sheets, and doing laundry.

One theme for my semication? Try seven!

My vacation lasted eight days, Sunday through Sunday. Seven of those days had a theme. Most days were driven by nostalgia — either for something from my past, such as visits to my grandparents in New Mexico, or something that I normally do during the summer, such as attending CONvergence. I also picked a couple of general summer themes to round out the week. My activities, food, even the clothes I wore and the music I listened to were shaped by the day’s theme.

I tried to match the theme for each day to the weather forecast, but it was a hot week with a couple of days of predicted rain, and most of my themes involved at least some time outdoors. This caught up with me toward the end of the vacation.

My Minnesota State Fair

Monday was all about the Minnesota State Fair.

What I ate:
It’s the fair, so food is front and center, right?

I started the day with a Peg Muffin (fried egg, sausage, tomato, and cheese on an English muffin) like they serve at The Peg, the fair’s only full-service restaurant. Lunch was the sort of sandwich I might get from The Lunch Box. (I chose that mostly because it was simple.) Afterwards I baked some Sweet Martha’s Cookies, which I accompanied with a glass of milk from the All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand in my fridge. Dinner was Sara’s Tipsy Pies with chocolate custard for dessert.

What I wore:
I have a couple of State Fair Sins t-shirts from a campaign I created for the University of St. Thomas a few years ago, so I wore one of those.

What I listened to:
Singer-songwriter Ann Reed wrote a few songs at the State Fair, which were compiled from audience suggestions at the Minnesota Public Radio booth. I considered those required listening for the day.

What I did:
There’s a lot of the state fair that you just can’t replicate, but I did my best. I visited the Pet Pavilion (translation: I gave my dog some extra attention, including a massage). I also visited the DNR Booth, which for me meant taking a hike through a nature center.

The fun surprise:
My kid added a detail I hadn’t thought about when I planned my day. It got pretty windy during the evening, so she summoned me outside and then blew bubbles into the wind — just like the bubble blowers at the souvenir stands scattered around the fairground.

CONvergence

I planned to indulge my geeky side in a tribute to CONvergence on the first rainy day of my vacation, since none of my planned activities involved being outdoors. Instead, I reread a favorite sci-fi book, watched Mystery Science Theater 3000, and ended my day with the YogaQuest Con Cool Down.

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of cramming much of the junk food I consume over a four-day convention into one day. Since we often find ourselves at Starbucks one morning during the con, I got one of their egg sandwiches for breakfast. That was fine, but then I had the sort of lunch one might put together in the consuite: seasoned rice and bread with peanut butter. In honor of another con tradition, I got hamburgers and treats from Dairy Queen for dinner. Add to that a specialty hot chocolate along the lines of what I might get from COF2E2 and toast with nutella and cinnamon sugar à la House of Toast, combined with mostly sitting around all day, and I felt sort of crummy by bedtime, even though I did have fun.

Fortunately, the next day was…

Spa Day

I couldn’t have asked for a better follow-up to my celebration of CONvergence. Spa Day was filled with healthy food, outdoor yoga, a walk, a nap, a trip to the farmers market, relaxing music, and an at-home facial. It was a perfect reset midway through my semication.

Cape May, New Jersey

When I was growing up, my family went to Cape May, New Jersey, every summer, at least for a long weekend. It’s difficult to bring the spirit of a Victorian beach town to the upper Midwest in the middle of a pandemic, even if we have lots of shoreline, but I did my best. I read a trashy novel, spent some time near water (though not water one could mistake for the ocean), wore a vintage t-shirt from Cape May, listened to what I think of as beach music, created a Cape May Pinterest board, had fried shrimp for dinner, and indulged in some fudge from the Original Fudge Kitchen, one of the places I remember from my childhood trips to the beach.

Visiting My Grandparents in New Mexico

Friday was dedicated to memories of visits to my New Mexico grandparents. I fixed an enchilada casserole recipe that my grandmother had given me years ago and also sauteed some zucchini and onions like she used to. I sent someone a postcard I still had from a past trip to New Mexico, read some Tony Hillerman, and colored a page from Wildlife of Cactus and Canyon Country. And, in honor of my grandpa’s 8-track tape of Tchaikovsky that I listened to over and over again during one trip, I listened to Tchaikovsky while I worked. I have no doubt that my sister and cousins would put together an entirely different day based on their own memories of visiting my grandparents.

Backyard Camping

I had hoped to go backyard camping over the weekend, but the weather didn’t cooperate. I still managed to do a couple of my planned activities: I got a walk in with my mom in the morning before it got too hot, and I fixed Frito pies (aka walking tacos) for dinner. Otherwise I baked and lazed around and had a wonderful day, even if it didn’t go as planned.

Summer in Alexandria, Virginia

My final day celebrated summers in Alexandria, Virginia, when I was a child and teenager. I listened to jazz, played “no rules” badminton in the backyard with my kid (a favorite game with my sister), fixed carrots sticks and deviled eggs like my mom makes to go along with a simple sandwich supper, and ended the weekend with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a movie that has nothing to do with summers in Alexandria.

What I took away from my semication

• As I mentioned above, there’s no reason why I can’t add fun to my work days through little things like listening to music or sitting in pleasant surroundings.
• While I love travel, I can have a wonderful time vacationing at home if I plan ahead.
• I can have a restful vacation without taking full days off. That said, I think the key was that I sandwiched a full week of half-days between three chore-free weekend days.
• Of course a “State Fair” themed day or a “Cape May” themed day can’t capture the real thing. I didn’t expect them to. But celebrating the things I love about certain places or memories or times of year can be enjoyable in and of itself.
• I had such a good time, I want to take more semications in the future! Of course I will jump at the chance to travel again someday, but for now, semications at home are a great way to relax and recharge.