I'm in this for the ice cream.

I have discovered something wonderful!

For the last eight days, a roommate of mine from when I was in college in England came to visit. Because she was "on holiday", I decided that I, too, should be "on holiday".

I took the whole week-plus off work. I spent money like crazy just doing all the things I love to do in my own lovely Minneapolis! I highly recommend this. It was so. much. fun. I had friends over, went to my favorite bars, coffee shops, a Saint's game, the Mall of America (okay, but take a British person and it becomes kinda cool in an overblown American way for a minute), a movie at the Uptown, walks around the lakes, cocktails everywhere, garage sales, inscrupulous shopping, my favorite restaurant (Cafe Brenda of course), Nicollet Avenue (and you've gotta play "Take a Brit to Brit's"), St. Anthony Main, the Walker. . .there are so many wonderful things to do here and having an excuse to do them all in as short a time as possible was incredibly fun!

Wherever you live, you naturally know things you love to do there--and don't always have time to do them. So, rather than hopping on a plane to blindly explore some city you've never seen, why not just take a week off work and vacation in your own town for once? I ask you.

That said, there is so much joy, adventure, and personal development to be found in travelling. I'm not saying travel is pointless. I'm only saying that staying in your own city can be a great vacation. Even if it sounds kinda half-assed.