Staycation

Do you know what brunch is? First of all, it’s a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch. Second, it’s a blend of the words "breakfast" and "lunch", and a combination of their meanings. Third, this type of word is known as a portmanteau, which is a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings.

There are many examples of  portmanteaus in English. Chocoholics ("chocolate" + "alcoholic"), workaholics ("work" + "alcoholic"), and shopaholics ("shopping" + "alcoholic")  are people who, respectively, have mild dependencies on chocolate, work, and shopping instead of alcohol. These are not real dependencies but rather strong tendencies. 

Now that it’s summer, some people take staycations (a portmanteau of "stay" and “vacation”), which is a vacation when one does not travel away from home. I like taking staycations sometimes because I can enjoy places in my city and state that I normally don’t have time to visit during my workdays, such as museums, amusement parks, nature parks, other nearby cities, concerts, or festivals. They’re a great way to save money (no lodging costs and minimal travel expenses), plus there’s no packing, stress, or long airport lines. 

There is no doubt that leisure travel is exciting and educational, but there are some strong arguments for taking a staycation every now and then. 

Have you ever taken a staycation?