Tweaking Vacations Gives Newtowners A Break

By Nancy K. Crevier

The quiet streets around town and the quantity of newspapers piling up at the ends of driveways would indicate that Newtown residents are not putting vacations on hold this summer, despite domestic airfares that have increased 4.4 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to 2007 and gasoline prices that are up $1.25 per gallon since last August. Some vacationers, however, are tweaking their plans to accommodate an unstable economy.

Pam Arsenault, director of religious education at St Rose, said she feels she and her family have been affected to a smaller extent by the poor economy than others. They are not giving up their annual summer vacation to Prince Edward Island, Canada, where they own a cottage, but several family members who generally make the trek north with them are not going this year, she said. They have also opted to leave their boat behind, allowing them to take a smaller vehicle when they go.

“Hauling the boat just takes too much gas to pull it all that way,” said Ms Arsenault.

“Yes and no,” said Karen Pierce in response to whether the economy had affected family vacation plans. Karen, Dan, and their two children, Danielle and Timmy, have planned vacations years into the future, said Ms Pierce.

“This year, it was supposed to be England and Ireland, but because of the weak economy we are not going,” she said. Instead, the Pierces used their rebate check, used credit card mileage for free airline tickets, and “worked the system” to go to Yellowstone National Park.

“We’re staying at a dude ranch just outside the East entrance to the park, which was way less than staying within the park anywhere, but we can still get to Yellowstone in minutes. We save all year for our big summer vacation, but Europe was just too expensive this year,” said Ms Pierce. Nonetheless, the entire family is still looking forward to being together this summer in Yellowstone. “Next year, maybe things will be better and it will be England and Ireland for us,” said Ms Pierce.

It is the children’s summer schedules that have kept the Sanchez family at home more than anything this summer, but Heliett Sanchez and her son Nathan did squeeze in an annual trip to visit family in California. When she started researching airfare, though, Ms Sanchez was shocked by the high price to fly. After waiting, in hopes that airfare would go down, to book the flight at the end of June, Heliett Sanchez capitulated to the ever-increasing airfares in order to make the visit.

“Luckily, I remembered that we had a voucher and that helped offset the increased price,” said Ms Sanchez. “But it was more expensive than any other time we have ever gone to California. I wouldn’t have minded paying more if it was for a longer period, but for just a week’s visit; that hurt,” she said.

Audrey and Bob DeBlasio and their two children are also still going ahead with summer plans, but adapting them to accommodate high gas prices. “We are taking a small motor home up to Vermont, but we’re only taking it on this one trip. We have curbed the times we would normally have used our motor home because of the high price of gas,” said Ms DeBlasio.

Those who have opted to take some sort of break from work and regular schedules despite a shaky economy are wise indeed, said local psychologist and life coach Dr Nancy Schulz.

“Vacation is one of the most important things you can do,” she said. “Europe has the right idea — they shut down for a month. We’re very unkind to ourselves here in the United States.”

The 2008 Vacation Deprivation survey by Expedia.com supports Dr Schulz’s opinion. According to statistics gathered there, one-third of US adults do not take all of the vacation days they receive, 24 percent check work e-mail or voice mail while on vacation, and one out of five US adults has cancelled or postponed vacations due to work-related issues.

Canadian and American workers are allotted only about half of the vacation days issued in many European countries, averaging between 14 and 17 days off a year. The average worker in Great Britain has 26 vacation days a year; in France, around 37 vacation days; and in Germany about 27 vacation days are granted to each employed adult every year. Not only that, Americans are more likely than their European counterparts to leave vacation days unused.

“We limit ourselves,” said Dr Schulz. “It takes at least a week to unwind.” Some people, though, make too much work out of taking a vacation, she added. “They spend too much money, do too much stuff, and plan too many things for it to be a restful time.”

It’s A State Of Mind

 When done with a “vacation state of mind,” though, a stay-at-home vacation can be as beneficial as an expensive trip taken to an exotic locale. “We live in a beautiful spot here in Newtown. Vacation is an ‘inner thing.’ You have to let go in order to ‘vacation,’ no matter where you are,” Dr Schulz said.

To vacation successfully at home, said Dr Schulz, it is important to make changes to everyday habits. She suggested shutting off the phone, television, and other electronics.

“Change as many things as you can. Drag out the picnic stuff instead of eating inside. Work in your garden if that is what you love. Practice joy. Enjoy the gift in each day,” she said.

Newtown resident Sue Body vouched for the “staycation” done right.

“I spent one week of my vacation at home. There has been a kind of overall feeling that the money should be banked these days. And that week at home was great,” said Ms Body. She made a point of not working on household chores and spent the week doing things as a family that they had not done in awhile. “We even went to the Pleasance one evening and played bocce. It really was a wonderful week off,” she said.

For those who want to play a little further outside the backyard, but still not break the bank or drain the gas tank, on July 3, Governor M. Jodi Rell launched the “Connecticut — Your Staycation Destination” program promoting the many nearby activities and events that can be enjoyed by residents this summer. The program offers discounts for Connecticut residents at hundreds of state attractions. For detailed information about the program and businesses taking part, call 888-CTVISIT (288-4748) or go to CTvisit.com.

One business offering a special through the state program is right in Newtown. Planet Beach Contempo Spa in Sand Hill Plaza on South Main Street is a designated Staycation Destination. State residents who mention the Staycation plan can receive one free week of elite spa membership, said Planet Beach marketing spokesperson Annie Murcko. That includes unlimited use of the aqua massage, a “360-degree, all around massage from neck to toes,” the photo light therapy luminous facial, the hydro-derma fusion steam bath, Mystic UV-free tanning, tanning beds, and all UV therapy. The spa is open seven days a week, said Ms Murcko, so “vacationers” can take full advantage the entire week.

“This is another thing for people to look at for vacationing in Connecticut,” said spa owner Tim Stubbs. “It’s an incentive to stay local.”

He was very pleased to hear about the program and be accepted by the state into the Staycation Destination program. “We are new as of last week,” said Mr Stubbs, “and we’ll be offering this program to Connecticut residents through the end of August.” Planet Beach Comtempo Spa can be contacted at 270-7866.

Taking a vacation at home can work, but only if a person is able to put him or herself in the right place and mental state to allow “recharging,” said licensed marriage and family therapists Ruth and Bart Schofield.

“It doesn’t have to be expensive. Go out to lunch instead of dinner, but make it celebratory,” Ms Schofield suggested. “People with young children might find a staycation easy to do, but it would mean looking at the home as just a place to sleep, like a hotel, and getting out and going to the beach all day or having breakfast and lunch out.”

She acknowledged, though, that with the increase in gas and prices overall, even a couple of hundred extra dollars cost can make it impossible for some families to get away this year. “But downtime of some kind is important. Changing our daily activities through a vacation in order to recreate ourselves is an important thing to do,” said Ms Schofield.

Bart Schofield felt that if it is feasible, a vacation at least two hours away from home is best.

“Getting away from home and the workplace is important,” Mr Schofield said. “If you stay home you’re always dabbling in things that you might turn your attention to in the cooler months, like fixing things, or other chores around the place,” he said. And if the vacation takes place less than an hour away from home, there is a tendency to always be running home to tend to one thing or another, he felt.

Michele Novella is an advanced practice registered nurse specializing in psychiatry at the Danbury Office of Physicians. Vacation, she said, is a common sense thing that gives people a time out from normal activities.

“The human brain seeks novelty, so when we take a vacation it creates an opportunity for experiences outside of our everyday routine,” she explained. That in turn increases the “feel good” chemicals in the brain and decreases the stress hormones that compound health problems. “In our office we see person after person with backaches, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, all of which are stress-related illnesses that are exacerbated by stress.”

Over time, people who do not make time for leisure activities and a break from routine experience decreased productivity at work, tunnel vision, a loss of perspective, fatigue, irritability, and a dissatisfaction with life in general, said Ms Novella.

“Everyday stress must be balanced or we will end up with stress-related health problems,” she said, “and people who take at least two vacations of at least three days in length each year tend to be healthier and have more life satisfaction.”

The big word, though, is balance, said Ms Novella. “You can’t avoid stress. But add things into life that balance the stress — and vacation is certainly one way to do so.”