For EMU students, mid-winter break is upon us! I know that there are more than few people jetting off on trips, be it out of state or out of the country. I am in the crowd of people staying stateside, and I'm currently curled up at home.

For me, staycations can be just as wonderful as regular vacations, with half the planning (and moving). The one cardinal rule for staycations in my opinion, though? Take it easy.

When you're home, you don't have to rush yourself as much as you would at school or while on a trip. It doesn't matter if one day you wake up at 7 am and take a walk before breakfast, and then the next day you decide to sleep until 1 pm. It's your time, and you're not wasting it.

Can you get a lot accomplished while on break? Of course: I'm personally going to be working on various writing projects and homework. However, if you do plan to work on personal things over break, remember that you can put it down for a bit and then pick it back up whenever you need to, that you can cut yourself some slack.

In this same vein: make sure that you're enjoying how you spend your break. Sure, there may be moments that aren't exactly ideal, like having to go to work, or the doctor's, or grocery shopping, etc, etc. But if you can, balance it out. For instance, on Tuesday, I have to visit the dentist. Not coincidentally, I'm also planning on having a movie day with my sisters on Tuesday (where I will eat candy and undo the dentist's hard work...just kidding). Moderation is always key, even with adulting.

Staycations allow you to explore just as much as regular vacations too. You can explore your hometown, towns surrounding you, or, if you want to go a bit deeper, you can explore yourself. Introspection and exploration go hand in hand, and not rushing yourself as you find hidden gems in your community is perfect thinking time.

So go ahead. Curl up with Netflix and a cup of tea. Explore that weird bookstore around the corner and then walk home for lunch. Read outside and go out with friends. Just because you're home doesn't mean that you're boring. It means that you're not rushing yourself, and that's perfectly good too.