Planes, Trains, and Running Shoes

February isn't really a great month. It's usually the coldest month of the year. January always seems endless and March offers the promise of a little bit warmer weather, so February just kind of makes people miserable. Since February is my birthday month though, I always try to make the month a little bit brighter! So, here's a list of fun things to do in February to make the month a little sweeter!

1. Go to a new museum. Or see a new exhibit at an old favorite! It's freezing outside and the temptation to stay inside is high. Brave the cold and go see something interesting!
2. Clean out your medicine cabinet. When we moved in December, we got rid of a lot of stuff. One thing I did, was to clean out the medicine cabinet. You guys, seriously, do this. I had prescriptions in there from 2011. Please don't keep those muscle relaxers around in case you need them one day. I don't think taking expired meds is a good idea.
3. Give aValentine's gift for someone special to you. I'm not talking about your significant other. Treat that coworker who is the only thing you like about your job, or the friend who has gotten you through everything, or even your Mom. Add some conversation hearts (actually, don't. Those are gross.) or chocolate to make it festive. 
4. Buy yourself some flowers. They make your house look nice and are a nice contrast to the dark, dreary winter days outside.
5. Have an unplugged morning. Wake up, lay in bed, read a book. Make yourself some pancakes. Make it a rule not to turn on your phone for at least 4 hours after you wake up. I dare you.
6. Send someone a birthday card. 
7. Make something entirely homemade. Pizza from scratch, homemade cinnamon rolls or pretzels, anything. This might be the month I finally try macarons again.
8. Read a book by a black author. It's African American History month! I have yet to read anything by Ta-Nehisi Coates, so I'll either read something from him or Zora Neale Thurston. Or maybe both, why not? Need some recommendations? I highly recommend Alice Walker or Toni Morrison. "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi is hands down one of the best books I have ever read in my life (if not the best). I highly recommend it on Audio. These lists have some great recommendations. Also, Megan is posting one book a day that she's read and loved by a black author. 
9. Get your hair blown out. Or get a massage. Get your nails done. Try all three. #treatyoself
10. Try to have a perfectly hygge night.

Lately, I've been experiencing a lot of nostalgia for DC. It sounds weird to say, because we're still here and don't plan on leaving soon, but I love DC. It's taken me a long time to find a place I felt comfortable calling home and DC is definitely it. This city takes my breath away and there is no time like during the Cherry Blossom Festival to prove why. 

I took this past week off from work. The Pilot had some time off so I took the week off so that we could spend some time together. I was in desperate need of a staycation, but I really wanted to take off and go somewhere, so I did both! The Pilot and I hopped on a plane and headed to the UAE for a few days in Dubai, before coming home to a few days of exploring our back yard. It such an awesome way to spend a week off, that I thought I'd share some tips that might convince you to turn your next week off into vacation/staycation!


1. Plan your vacation.

This is probably very easy for everyone in the world who books travel further out than 24 hours. If you're only taking a week off, you want to go somewhere that you can comfortably visit for 3-4 days. When we were in Hawaii, Carolann took us to the Kailua Library Bookstore and The Pilot came across the Lonely Planet guide to Oman, the UAE, and the Arabian Peninsula. One month of combing through that and our destination was set! We were off to Dubai!

The Dubai skyline might be my new favorite!

2. Clean your house.

The last thing anyone wants to do on a staycation is clean their house. Before we left, before I started packing, I cleaned every little bit of my house...bathroom, living room, everything. I made a Goodwill pile, I made a recycling pile, I cleaned everything. When I came home, the only thing that needed to be done was the laundry from our trip!

3. Plan a fun house project. 

We live in a tiny apartment and my combined bookshelf/desk area was needing some serious love. I had made styling my bookshelves a goal for the month of September, and like everything else on that list (oops), it didn't get done. I knew that I wanted to finally cross this off my list when we came home. It was fun, it was easy, and it makes my house look just a little bit nicer.

4. Pull out your arsenal of local activities.

Everyone, no matter where they live, has a list in the back of their mind of places nearby that they haven't been to yet...sights, restaurants, parks, whatever it may be, everyone has one. Your staycation, with your already clean house, is the perfect opportunity to cross some of those things off your list. We didn't really plan what we wanted to do in advance, but when The Pilot and I woke up each morning, we were open to being a little more adventurous with our "What do you want to do today?" conversations. This staycation, we took a trip to The Mount Vernon Estate and went hiking in Rock Creek Park.

5. Relax!

It's a staycation! Don't forget to relax! The flight from Dubai was 15 hours. We took off Tuesday around midnight and landed around 6:30 am. Somehow, I managed to sleep for 13 of 15 hours on that flight (I had an entire row to myself, it was amazing!) so when we landed, I was well rested and spent the entire day in my nice, clean house, watching Netflix. Even if I hadn't slept on the flight, I would have had all day Wednesday to catch up on sleep and be well rested for my staycation, without having to jump back to work the next day.

There you have it! This is how my type A, always-on-the-run self, managed to turn one week into a combined vacation/staycation. It might be my new favorite way to travel! I'm treating today like a normal Sunday - grocery shopping, meal planning, and prepping for the week - and I know that this week was exactly what I needed before heading back to work tomorrow!