Bringing Vacation Home: Rise of the Staycation

By Jason Michael

If you were to ask my friends and associates about me, a defining characteristic is that I love traveling. Toss some clothes in my bag, buy a plane ticket, land in a foreign environment, and figure everything out after a ten-hour flight, and I’m right in my element. Holidays are an often overlooked yet crucial element to our health, and most of the time, many Americans can’t seem to set aside the time or money for a trip or otherwise feel guilty about leaving their work to others. I’m even guilty of this, and because I’m saving up for more home renovations, I opted to save some money by turning my most recent vacation – into a staycation. 

On average, Americans have only ten vacation days each year and spend just shy of $2000 for one week of vacation. $2000! And that’s just for a single person.  With so little time and the increasing cost, the staycation is an ever-appealing idea. Everyone, yes, everyone – even you! Deserves to take time for themselves, no matter their circumstances. If an extended trip isn’t in the cards for you this summer, create space for yourself to recharge. 

While both staycations and vacations offer opportunities for relaxation, they differ in terms of location and duration. Staycations typically involve shorter trips closer to home, allowing individuals to explore nearby attractions and see their neighborhood from a traveler’s perspective. I live in Columbus, Ohio, in the lovely Grandview area. Between my house and my gym, I drive along Grandview Road, which has several bars, restaurants, and amenities lining the road – but until this recent staycation, I had never stopped to experience the relaxed, laid-back, culture-rich area. It was quite a treat and led me to want to frequent the area more regularly in the future. I, like almost 60% of American travelers, also spent time hiking some of the nearby Ohio trails and walkways, finally experiencing some of the surrounding Ohio nature. 

While all that was wonderful, I wanted to make the pool the centerpiece of my staycation, and it ended up being a success! I spent more time poolside during that week than in the previous few months COMBINED. My newly renovated pool patio extending over my pool hosted morning breakfast and bottomless mimosas. A swim, some pool sports, and resting on the poolside bed swing rounded out my poolside mornings. All of this was made seamless by my Aiper S1 Ultra cordless robotic pool cleaner. 

I’ve spoken about Aiper’s before and recently added their new Scuba S1 model to my collection, and one feature in particular made that always a pristine experience of a vacation pool a home reality during my staycation, namely, Aiper’s new Eco Mode. In Eco Mode the Aiper Scuba S1 cleans for 45 minutes, every 48 hours. I had used my Aiper devices the day before to ensure the cleanliness of my pool, but it was the S1 that gave me that continuously clean experience throughout the week after dropping it in the pool Monday morning at the start of my staycation. 

Calculating all the money my Aipers have saved me in electricity and pool maintenance (over $1000 this year alone), I was able to treat myself on the nights out with a little additional flare, all while my Aipers kept working. I love the expanded filter on this baby, and the caterpillar treads are a great upgrade from the Seagull Pro model (which I still use, too!). Both work together to ensure I get a great cleaning experience so that my pool remains pristine for the entire duration of my staycation.

For pool enthusiasts and vacation lovers of all kinds, I can’t stress enough: Take your vacation time, don’t feel guilty, and for your next trip, instead of throwing thousands of dollars at a resort, bring vacation home by enjoying a pristine Aiper pool experience, exploring your local communities, and taking that much-needed break that you DESERVE.