Blog Action Day!

So, today is Blog Action Day. Click on the logo to the right if you want to visit their site. The idea is that blogs all over the web are posting about the environment.

This is easy from a microvacation point of view. There are lots of microvacations that involve just getting out and taking a walk in the park, taking your kids on a hike, walking down that township trail, etc. These are perfect microvacation breaks to clear your head and relieve some stress.

So why don't you go take an environmental friendly microvacation today?

I Had a Motorcycle MiniVacation Today

I'd been looking forward to this one for a while. I'd had it on my calendar for over a month (like you should do with microvacations and minivacations). This morning I woke up earlier than I really had to and couldn't get back to sleep as I was excited about what the day was going to bring.

My local Ducati Monster motorcycle club was having it's annual Fall Bash ride and BBQ. A buddy was meeting me at my house and we were heading down to Valley Forge National Park to join the rest of the crew and ride some of the nice backroads of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware.

Unfortunately, rain showed up unexpectedly this morning and we had lower turnout, wet roads and a shortened route to deal with. Still, it was great to see my friends and get out for a bit even if lots of it was BSing in the Wawa parking lot waiting for things to dry out. Even a bad microvacation beats no microvacation!

I Found Keri Smith's Mini Vacation Story!

I was Googling for other minivacation stuff and came across the story that has a broken link from that illustration of Keri Smith's that I blogged about before. So here's the link to the story. It's well worth reading and really captures the essence of microvacations as far as I'm concerned. Enjoy!

More On Lunch As A MicroVacation

LifeClever has an article on 15 ways to maximize your lunch hour. There are a few points here that I strongly support:

1. Put it on your calendar
This is a good one for any microvacation. Block the time so nobody takes it for a meeting!

5 & 6 are planning steps which are also important for microvacations. They don't always just happen, you need to take some steps to ensure you get them!

12 Take the full lunch break
Yeah, don't just rush back to your desk. Take a walk, pick up that videogame, book or DVD you've wanted (Heck, that's another microvacation for later when you get a chance to play, read or view it).

All good stuff!

They've also got a good article on how to procrastinate more effectively. In moderation, procrastination is a good microvacation.

LifeSpy Mini-Vacation How To

Alex has posted an article on how to take a mini-vacation over at LifeSpy. It's not particularly long, but I agree with his 3 main points:
1) Plan your mini-vacation
2) Take along a friend or loved one
3) Document your vacation with pictures, video, etc.

Those are all good suggestions to having a nice minivacation!

Micro Vacation vs. Mini Vacation

So, what's the difference between a mini vacation (AKA minivacation, mini-vacation) and a micro vacation (AKA microvacation, micro-vacation) you may ask. Here's how I differentiate them. A micro vacation, microvacation or micro-vacation is a vacation that generally takes less than a day. It's a break in the routine of a single day. A mini vacation, minivacation or mini-vacation on the other hand is a vacation that takes a day or more, but is less than a full week. So now you know!

Man Plus Motorcycle Equals Mini Vacation

My friend Travis recently packed up his motorcycle and headed South from the Philly area for a few days. He didn't plan much ahead of time, but decided to see how far down the Blue Ridge Parkway he could get in the time he had. This thread chronicles his journey. This is exactly the sort of thing we're talking about here on the MicroVacations Blog! Heck, even reading it is a micro vacation. Check it out and start generating some mini and micro vacation ideas of your own.

Mini Vacation Illustration

Keri Smith has a cool illustration that offers instruction on how to have a free mini vacation without leaving home on her blog. Apparently there's a story that goes with it, but that link seems to be broken and Keri hasn't answered my e-mail about it. Keri, if you read this, please fix the link. We'd love to hear the story!

Summer's End

So, here's a good article about dealing with the end of the summer vacation season. There's some general stress reduction advise, but tips 1 and 6 really hit home with me.

I've always found that planning a vacation when you get back from one gives you something to look forward to and keeps your spirits up. I also like to mark them on the calendar and cross off days so you can see progress towards the next day off. It's amazing how much little things like this can affect your outlook!

The last tip about playing some each day is another one of my beliefs as well. Find some time to do something you enjoy every day and you'll be much happier.

So, the traditional end of the summer season that Labor Day marks is coming, but micro vacations and mini vacations know no season!

August Must Be Micro Vacations Month

Wow, lots of people are talking about micro vacations right now. See this link over at Tim Leberecht's iPlot blog. He links to two recent articles on the subject of micro vacations as a result of changing work environments in the US that appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The referenced articles are definitely worth a read. I'm sure they'll resonate with many of you.