Even Home is a Travel Destination
I have nothing against staycations. I don’t even despise the word, as many others do. As a mindful travel writer whose motto is “Even Home is a Travel Destination,” I am always on the lookout for fun things to see and do nearby. (Heck, I even write best selling books on the topic!) However, if you caught my IWSG check-in for July, you’ll know that due to a health scare with my husband, Larry, “nearby” literally became “our house and backyard.”
Couldn’t see past the chores
For me, the biggest challenge with being housebound for our staycation is that when I look around, all I see are chores to do! (Does this ever happen to you?) It was especially bad in those first few weeks when Larry was completely bedridden. Since I work from home, I really struggled to shift from work mode into vacation mindset.
Outside fun? Easier said than done!
One idea I had was to sit outside and read a good book. To me, reading while enjoying nature is one of summer’s simple pleasures. Alas, between me being a delicate flower from northern climes and the Texas temperature hovering around 100 most days, it was impossible to combine the words “outside” and “fun” in a sentence without slathering a whole bunch of sarcasm between the two to hold them together!
Saved by a wading pool!
As of this writing, I can now say “outside fun” with a genuine smile on my face, because as you see in the photo above, we installed a 12 foot diameter wading pool in our backyard.
Yee haw! *splash*
It’s nothing fancy, but it has made all the difference in the world to little ol’ me! I’m now able to enjoy spending time outside, meditating, bird watching, listening to cicadas, reading books, and even writing, yes, writing while in the pool- but I’m getting ahead of myself…
Our new wading pool is great exercise, too! Between my flippers and water gloves, I’m able to get a lot of cardio and stretching without dying of heat stroke. Plus, as someone who struggles with anxiety, getting enough physical exercise each day makes a huge difference! The pool even lets Larry safely exercise without damaging his injured leg – so it’s not only me who benefits. (I think the only naysayer in our family so far has been the cat. She doesn’t know what to do with herself when we’re in the pool and yowls at me when I walk back into the house dripping wet.)
More than anything, however, our backyard kiddie pool has added that missing ingredient to our mandatory in-house staycation: FUN!
Catching Ideas in Water
I dunno about you folks, but I get some of my best ideas while in the shower and bath, and now that we have a pool, I’m getting ideas out there, too. I tried keeping a notebook and pencil next to the pool, but it didn’t work all that well, so I turned to Facebook and asked my friends for help in a status post which reads:
“Hey! I remember some folks talking about water proof paper or notebooks or something like that… something people could use to write on in the bathtub. Did I dream that, or do any of you know where I could get something like that? I get so many ideas when I’m floating in water, but it’s tough to write them down…”
Morgan Dragonwillow shared an excellent post in response to my plea, too: The 3 Writing Tools I Couldn’t Live Without which gave me a lot of ideas.
In fact, I bought a dive slate for $7 after reading her article and I love, love, *LOVE* it! I take it in the pool and it allows me to write ideas down with a regular #2 pencil while I splash around.
Yeah!
[UPDATE: I found it hard to clean my dive slate… until I tried wiping it off with one of these nifty magic white sponges. Now, it’s a breeze! I sometimes even jot notes down on my dive slate when I’m not in the water – lol!]
Thanks to my pal Michael Gilmore, our shower now contains a water proof note pad called Aqua Notes, which is handy dandy, indeed! Mike also shared an article entitled Science Explains Why Our Best Ideas Come in the Shower.
I love Aqua Notes!
Bobb Triggs and Teresa Wills suggested “Rite in the Rain” products, which I haven’t tried yet, but I’m sure that I will down the line.
By the way, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Even so, the opinions expressed here are wholly my own!
Am I missing any other tricks for waterproof writing devices? What about you? How do you handle ideas that come to you in the shower, bath, or any other time when writing them down is a challenge?
Want to keep up with me?
BLOG POSTS: I’ve got 650+ articles here and I’m constantly adding more!
READ MY BOOKS: Check out my books, including Understanding Cemetery Symbols. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form.
Want a FREE Guide to Historic Cemeteries?
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
[…] summer started off with a bang. My husband’s health scare turned our road trip into not just a staycation, but a full-on housecation for a few months. I’m so grateful for that backyard wading pool and all those great tools I […]
Hello, Tui. Maybe you’re part mermaid? Good news that you found joy and water right in your back yard — and that your husband’s healing every day! So I’m reading your IWSG post and am reminded that when we least expect it, disasters of various types can turn our lives (writing and otherwise) truly upside down. Glad you landed in some cooling water. And that’s a great picture of you, free spirit, lolling in the backwater. May the coming month be a good one.
Actually, Beth, you are not the first one to suggest that I’m part mermaid! It certainly makes a difference in how I feel, I tell you! Thank you for your kind words! And you’re right; my summer got off to a rocky start, but I encountered many blessings along the way, and – all in all – I look back on it fondly! Thank you for dropping by! See ya over at your blog. :)
What a fun post! I know the pains of staycations. And yup, usually a lot of chores get done during them. Fabulous picture! And what a great idea to use waterproof paper. I never thought that. *makes note to check it out*
Oh, yeah, Christine! All that stuff I got for writing in the water has been terrific! Those Aqua Notes work perfectly in the shower, and my dive slate is a total lifesaver (for ideas, not me!) when swimming! Thank you for visiting my blog. I will drop by yours now. :)
I have yet to get Aqua Notes even though I’m always getting ideas in the shower.
Hmm… when’s your birthday, Patty? Aqua Notes are great! :)
What a fantastic post! As a competitive swimmer, I’m a huge fan of the water. There’s something spiritual and supportive about the water. I’ve never written in the water but I’m definitely intrigued. Thanks for the tips.
Hi, Jennifer! I know what you mean about water. It buoys my spirits as much as it buoys my body! Let me know if you end up doing any water writing. Thanks for stopping by! :)