Summer is just around the corner, and after more than a year of little to no travel, many of us are itching to escape our homes. But with trying to find a rental when most of the options have been booked up for months and having to navigate the varying travel restrictions around the world, just thinking about all the work that goes into coordinating a vacation can make you want to stay put.

Believe us, we’ve been there, and that’s exactly why we’ve rounded up our game-changing tips to make this the summer of travel, exploration, rejuvenation, and yes, rest. Dive in and get packing—it’s time to finally take advantage of our summer vacations.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Stay Close To Home.

If you’re approaching the loosening precautions around mask-wearing, distancing, and traveling with uncertainty, you’re not alone. It can be challenging to feel like you’re doing a complete one-eighty after months with no vacations on your calendar. Thankfully, no one’s forcing you to go all-out on your first trip away. In fact, it can even be to your benefit to take things slowly.

Interviewed for an article in The New York Times, Dr. Joshua Barocas, an infectious diseases physician at Boston Medical Center, suggests finding incremental ways of reintegrating yourself to common daily life (you know, what the world was like before 2020). As it relates to travel, this can mean modifying, but moving forward with your plans. If, at the moment, the thought of getting on a plane is overwhelming, land on a location that you can reach by car.

While the big, awe-inspiring trip may sound amazing in theory, try starting with a vacation that requires you to jump through fewer logistical hoops. Simplifying things can go a long way in ensuring you’ll have a restful trip that’s good for your wallet and your well-being. You can always save that trip to Europe for another summer.

Avoid The Travel-Planning Headache And Stay Organized

A big part of the fun involved in taking a vacation happens even before you set out. Looking forward to and dreaming up all the amazing parts of your trip can help get you in the right headspace for when that first day of vacay actually arrives. Not only does mental planning feel good, but it can also help you stay on top of all the small, but key details that ensure your trip will be a success.

While we’d never encourage over-planning (that can send things in the opposite direction and cause major unwanted stress), it’s important to make sure that you’re aware of and have fully ironed out the parts of your travel and stay that’ll help the whole thing run as smoothly as possible. Flying? Download your airline’s app to make sure your boarding pass is ready to go—and don’t forget to double-check what time you’re taking off to make sure you’re not sprinting through the airport. Renting a vacation spot? Read through the details of your listing carefully, ensuring that you know how to check in and making yourself aware of anything that needs to be done before you check out. If you’re taking a road trip, the level of planning you put into it can depend on how spontaneous you want to get. We’d recommend booking your stays along your route, so that even if you get a little lost, you’ll always have somewhere to kick off your shoes at the end of the day.

Being proactive and dialing in the details of your vacation ahead of time can seem like a lot of unnecessary planning, but you’ll be glad you did when your trip begins—and all you have to do is enjoy it.

Pack Lighter

If you're traveling by plane, you know that keeping your bags under a certain weight can be a challenge. From bodycare to those 'just incase' outfits - we often find ourselves with bags racking up baggage fees. This summer, try packing light! Packing light doesn't mean sacrificing what you need or your comfort - it's all about the multi-tasking basics! Opt for versatile clothing items that can pair different ways and multi-tasking beauty products. We love TSA-approved Conscious Coconut oil because it can be thrown in your carry-on for endless uses - from sunburn relief to germ guard on the flight.

Be Mindful Of Travel Restrictions and Local Protocols

On the topic of doing your research ahead of time, given the ongoing pandemic and its varying impact on countries around the world, it’s important that you give yourself the extra time to look into your destination’s safety protocols. With mixed messaging on masking and distancing guidelines depending on where you are, the spot where you’re taking your vacation could be an entirely different environment from what you’re experiencing at home. Again, do your research and educate yourself on what to expect when you arrive. It can save you confusion and hassle down the line, as well as continue the effort in keeping our communities safe.

Design Your Space For The Ultimate Staycation

If the idea of time away from your computer sounds *amazing* but you’re not ready to take the full-on leap of booking a trip, don’t worry. There are still plenty of ways to create a relaxing environment right at home. First step? The minute your PTO starts, clear the house of the things that would keep you from enjoying a work-free week. Close your laptop and hide it away. Delete Slack and turn off email notifications. Just because you’re staying home doesn’t mean you can be available to put out a work-related fire. Whatever you have to do to create separation between your work self and your vacation self, do it. Not only will this make it less tempting to check in, but you’ll clear your space of stressful energy and set yourself up to relax.

And here’s the thing: taking a staycation doesn’t mean you have to be home all day long. Pack a bag and set off on a local adventure, taking a nearby hike, exploring your city, or just plopping down in a park with your latest read. Enjoying the simplicity of a paired-down vacation can help you reconnect with and rediscover what you love about a familiar space: home.