By Deborah Sherwood
Working from home has its perks.
Daily commutes in rush hour traffic have evolved into trudging from the bedroom to a laptop on the kitchen table next to the box of Frosted Flakes, shoved out of webcam view.
Whacking the snooze button has become a morning exercise.
Showers are optional and leisurely, and sipping delectable french press coffee has replaced gulping down that last bit of tepid black sludge from the bottom of the carafe in the office break room.
Another underrated aspect? You don’t need to fake interest in interminable stories about the latest achievements by your coworker’s brilliant kids, nor suck in your tummy when an attractive colleague walks by.
Although the thermometer is climbing toward three digits, that cute weather guy on channel 4 is predicting pleasant summer weather for the next 10 days.
Songs about picnics in the park, yellow polka-dot bikinis and “Hot Fun in the Summertime” make you long for those tranquil lazy, crazy, hazy days of pre-quarantine summers.
The massive dark green magnolia tree in the park across the street with its intoxicating, fragrant white blossoms and soothing shade beckon to you. Ethereal clouds in an azure sky prompt you to invent a list of excuses for getting out of your afternoon videoconference.
Suddenly, you remember you have some unused vacation time and decide to take off for a week or two. Considering the questionable risk of air and train travel, you brilliantly conclude a staycation is the answer.
Current restrictions limiting the number of patrons allowed in public places like museums, bars, restaurants, amusement parks, beaches, campgrounds, and stadiums can be discouraging. There are, however, still many other enjoyable summer activities close by.
Biking the C&O Canal, checking out the Southwest Heritage Trail, cooling off at the National Arboretum or Kenilworth Gardens, and watching the progress of The Wharf’s Phase II development are all appealing options…
Just pour yourself a cold beverage, burrow deep into your recliner and open that new John Grishom novel you bought last February.
Staycation has begun!
Deborah Jones Sherwood happily resides at River Park in Southwest DC.