When most people think about taking vacations, the first thing they do is try to figure out how big a hit their budget can afford, and what kind of exotic locations and packages they can book through their nearest travel agency. Vacations are considered to be something special, because the opportunity to take time off from work happens for only a few weeks out of the year. What if it was possible to get that vacation feeling any time you want?

The true value of taking a vacation is the relaxation, variance from routine, and excitement of seeing something different. Some people seem to feel that accomplishing this requires loads of intense planning, preparation, and expense to achieve, when in actuality, all it really takes is motivation and knowing where to look. By nature, many people are creatures of habit, and habits lead to routines, and routines lead to living life in a rut. When life appears to be draining away energy, and the same habitual activities lose their appeal, it is time to consider doing something different. Instead of sitting in front of the television, or frequenting the usual night spots, a good alternative is to look for ways to create an inexpensive "mini” vacation for yourself. The following items are a list of some simple things people can do to get more enjoyment out of life, without having to wait until retirement to take the time to do it.

1. There are lots of ways to have a vacation right where you live. Discover and visit the attractions offered in your city that would appeal to people coming into town from other places. Look at your local area as if it was the first time you had ever seen or heard anything about it. There are loads of free and inexpensive day trips waiting for you in your own area. Take some long walks on local walking or biking trails, visit the zoo, museums, art galleries, and attractive neighborhoods in the area. All you need to do this is to find some places you have rarely visited, or never gone to before. With a little effort, there are likely to be places you have never been, even though you have lived in the same place for years. If necessary, treat yourself to a night out in a local hotel, bed and breakfast, or motel, and do everything you would want to do if you were out of town on a trip.

2. Once you have thoroughly exhausted all the sights and activities of interest in the core of your local area, you can expand your plans to include trips to nearby towns an

d cities that require less than a tank of gas to make the round trip. Plan an itinerary for a day or a weekend to include the relaxing things you like to do most. Take along a camera to photograph interesting sights, eat dinner in a restaurant you do not frequent often when you are at home.

3. The idea behind this methodology is to create the same vacation atmosphere that you get when you go to the trouble of planning a major trip, but without the high price tag. Much of the expenses incurred while on a big vacation includes air fares, rental cars, accommodations, and sometimes the admissions to tourist trap attractions. If you are taking short trips that can be accomplished in a single day, driving your own car, you have eliminated the lion's share of the expense associated with taking time for a restful getaway.

4. If you need to rent a car, and find a room for a weekend short distance trip in order to capture the spirit of taking a vacation, go ahead and try out planning a few of these types of activities. If you consciously decide to play the role of being on vacation for a day or two, your subconscious mind with cooperatively get with the program, and begin to help free you from the drudgery of daily living.

5. To find the kind of activities that will engage your interest, look for ideas from your local tourist bureau, or get information from organizations like the AVA at www.ava.org for interesting places to walk, bike, or jog. You can even check out your local travel agent for information about what kinds of places and activities they would recommend for people from out of town.

By following these tips, you will find that getting more enjoyment out of life is much easier than you may have thought possible. Nobody comes to the end of their lifetime wishing they had been able to work longer or harder. If you wait too long to find fulfillment, you may miss your chance altogether.

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