Let’s Meet Up and Stay In: Autostraddle’s International Staycation Spectacular is March 14!

Photos via shutterstock.com

Let’s face it. Meet-ups make our world go ’round. We’ve brunched, we’ve purchased records together, we’ve climbed mountains, we’ve hit parks and beaches, we’ve speed-dated, we’ve done it all, you guys! And it’s been brilliant and amazing and shiny. But what we’re about to do will top everything.

On March 14, we want you – yes, YOU! – to take a staycation, dude. Oh, and we want all the ‘straddlers in your area to join you.

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We want you to meet-up and sit back, relax, and chill the fuck out. We want you to host an in-house spa day, throw a hotel party uptown, rent an AirBnB and pretend you’re in a cabin in the woods, paint each other’s nails, read magazines together in the air conditioning, WHATEVER. If you would do it on vacation, do it at home or in a hotel or in a rented room! And make it better and do it together!

If you decide to spend the day with your activity partner or best friend or self instead, you can still be a part of the spirit of the day with our A+ Live Team Staycation Stream and get in on our wild and crazy shared experiences by using the hashtag #StaycationSpectacular on social media. That’s right! Via our livestream, Instagram accounts, and Twitter feeds, we can all be weirdos together without even getting out of bed!

The possibilities are endless, and the rules are simple: get relaxed, get indulgent, and get ready to wear yoga pants (if you’re into that). Here’s some ideas to get you started!

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Treat Yo Self

Spend the day in an oasis of your own creation. Scrub your face. Paint your nails. Do your thing. We’ll have some DIY ideas for you in the next week, and we’ve certainly led you to the Queer Beauty Bar and the DIY Beauty Bar more than once. Put a robe on and let loose with some good ol’ masks and creams. Oh, and also you get to wear slippers. Like, are you serious?

Hotel Party

What’s the point of a vacation without a hotel party? Um, did we agree to live like Kings or what. Reserve a room in a local AirBnB, the upscale hotel down the street, or the inn next door and pretend you’re somewhere else where nobody knows you at the hotel party of your dreams. By throwing the hotel party of your dreams.

Eat Well and Prosper

Make the meal with a thousand ingredients that you never have enough time to cook. Order in some of the best food you’ve ever tasted in your life, price tag be damned. Eat gourmet chocolate all day. Have champagne for breakfast. Live on the edge, damn it.

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Curl Up By the Fireplace

Lay out a plush rug and spike the hot chocolate. (Or don’t!) You don’t need to go skiing to feel like you’re in a ski lodge, after all. Extra points if you don’t have a fireplace so you watch YouTube videos of them instead.

Picnic with Reckless Abandon

Is there anything more idyllic than a picnic? Don’t answer that. Instead, grab a basket, a blanket, and a pair of shades and spend the day pretending you’re not in Kansas anymore. I’m doing this, PS! Because there’s nothing I love like a potluck and there’s nowhere better to have it than down the staircase from my room to guarantee I’ll only be five minutes late! So, yeah. This also works for an indoor beach party or actual beach party. Basically, if you live somewhere where a bunch of people can lay blankets down inside your options are limitless and a picnic is a damn good one, is all I’m saying. Also, stay tuned to this very website for some upcoming cheese and beverage combinations that will win your heart if shit like this, this, and this haven’t yet.

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Anti-Lesbian Bed Death Day

This speaks for itself. It’s a staycation. There’s a bed. Take the day off by getting off with the one(s) you love.

Okay, y’all. That’s all the inspiration I’ve got but I know you’re gonna do a great job coming up with some crazy fun stuff to do with all your queermo friends / brethren, so get hosting and share your events and ideas in the comments! Just decide on the details of your staycation meet-up and submit them here. You can even use this image for your events on Facebook! Thank you, Intern Nikki!

And even if you plan not to see another soul that day, remember to share your lives with us using the #StaycationSpectacular hashtag and join A+ so you can tune in to our Live Team Staycation Stream on March 14!

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

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Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

54 Comments

  3. Damn, only 10 days notice and on Saint Patricks day weekend?
    It’s doable but it won’t be easy to pull it off.

  4. Sydney folks – we may do some bushwalking. Contact me if you’re interested (and not already in the sooper sekrit Autostraddle Sydney Facebook group).

  5. I am a huge art nerd so I like to go to every museum when I’m on vacation, and I have a school project that involves needing to go to a museum, so this sounds like a good two birds/one stone situation. Any of you OC Straddler nerds want to staycate/also maybe go to the museum with me?

    • How I wish I was an OC straddler nerd. If you ever visit the UK and want a museum/gallery buddy I’m there!

  6. I’m spending mine in Phx this weekend going to the Melrose Street Fair Saturday, dancing with a friend that night. Strip club hopping Sunday night and writing Monday-Tuesday. I do have an overnight stay I received for a resort in Tucson but I don’t know if I want to use it yet.

    • Yasss! I am heading to Melrose Street Fair as well.

      But the staycation thingie is supposed to be next weekend. Take that Tucson trip! Do eet!

      I’ll be rollin’ in the St. Patrick’s Day parade that day, and — now that it has been pointed out that it will also be Pi Day — seeking out some pie.

  12. I’m starting to think y’all monitor my life and intentionally make these things on all the weekends after I have a large travel/expense week. STAHP. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

    But, uh, as pointed out above, this’ll be Pi Day, and if you write your dates in a particular western fashion, it’s Extra Excellent Pi Day (3/14/15 9:26:53), sooooo, if anyone would like to join me (in spirit, alas) for a lot of pie? So much pie? And damn fine coffee?

    • I’m in Hamburg unfortunately, I’ve been wondering if there were any other readers in Germany at all, much less in my city.

      • Ja, ich auch!
        Sind sie deutscher? Ich bin neu in Deutschland und komme aus Australien, aber mein Vater ist Deutsch also alles ist nicht Fremde für mich.
        I hope to meet some queer friends here!

  14. Sounds good, but I’m positive I’m the only straddler in like, a 300km ratio AT LEAST. A significant part of that ratio is ocean, but whatever. Where are the straddler mermaids when you need ’em.

  17. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND throwing a PajWaffle Party which is when everyone wears their pajamas and contributes to a grand waffle buffet. Cincinnati Straddlers had much success with this formula. We may even repeat it for the Staycation Day, who knows?

  20. This sounds awesome! Alas I shall be on an actual vacation with my boo in Lisbon #sorrynotsorry but I hope you all have an amazing time <3

  22. How do I figure out if there’s something going on in my area? I want friendssssss

    (Anyone in northeast Ohio?)

  25. Oh lawd I have terrible idea for NOLA: MARGARITAVILLE
    It’s in a tourist zone, over-priced from what I remember but the important part is it look’s like a 90’s beach shop exploded and airbrushed it self all over everything.

    A good idea would be I dunno I am made of one bad idea and ideas that anyone but an art sort of student would find very dull because I’m dull person that dislikes intoxication.

    Whatever anybody tries it needs to something that doesn’t require buying tickets. Something laissez-faire.

  28. I’m p sure I’m the only straddler currently in Northern Chile, but ey! If I’m not let’s do something.

    dame mas queers porfa!

  29. This is right up my alley, but unfortunately is the same day as the Louisiana Queer Conference. As always, I’ll be staying in in spirit.

  30. A friend is doing a Scifi Satire (Galaxy Quest and Spaceballs) movie marathon and brunch that day, which is pretty amazing and thematically appro.

  32. I have loads planned this weekend, and yesterday morning, I had a helluva time getting out of bed, so I called in sick. Pretty much ended up having my staycation early.

    Once I managed to pry myself out of bed, I strolled across the street and treated myself to an americano and potato & egg burrito. Took it home, and ate the whole damn thing, while watching Broad City.

    Then I spent repotted some of my patio plants, made come calls, and rewarded myself with some hammock and reading time, and another coffee.

    Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, because they started doing some noisy maintenance work outside.

    To escape the noise, I biked over to my garden, and puttered for a bit. Then I picked up some eggs from a chicken-keeping friend.

    By the time I got back they were done — just in time for me to take a nap. Afterwards, I went to the gym for a short workout, came home, put some vinyl on, and cooked dinner.

    I made farro and sweet potato burgers, with kohrabi chips, and a mustard greens salad, which I enjoyed with a nice cider and Orphan Black.

    Finally, a hot shower and beddy-bye. I had all day, and didn’t do one useful thing. The only downside, is that I’m back at work today!

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