BY: RACHEL SMITH

Last year, Americans left 705 million vacation days unused.  That’s more than a hundred-million-day increase over a few years ago.

Bottom line – people work too much!  And in the over-worked, stressed-out, go-go-go world that we live in these days, it appears the opportunity for run and relaxation is there.

We just don’t take it!

SO – as today is National Plan for Vacation Day, let’s do something about that, huh?

Today is the day American’s are prompted to take a look at the calendar for the rest of the year and commit to time off.  A time where you really focus on planning something fun and then sticking to it.

The thing is… when you do this, you tend to schedule your life around your vacation, instead of trying to fit a vacation into your busy life.  If you don’t do that… your vacation days tend to simply slip by year after year, leaving days and days of time off on the table unused.

Planning helps you better utilize all of your time off, resulting in more enjoyable, relaxing time with family and friends.  This, then, leads to a reduction of stress, anxiety, and an increase in overall well-being.  These are the people who report greater levels of happiness at work and at home.

So what could one possibly do with all this scheduled time off?

Well, I think a week at the Lake sounds like a pretty darn good option right about now!  I know it’s hard to fathom at the moment.  But just think, eventually the ‘life-threatening cold’ will disappear, replaced with the hot, blazing sun.  Clear Lake will thaw out, warm up, and turn into a bustling tourist town once again.

But now is the time to book that cottage or vacation rental for your stay.  Now is the time to get on the books with a rental from Movement Solutions, or maybe you feel like taking the plunge and buying a new toy from Clear Lake Boats.  Either way, when the water opens again, the Lake will be calling.

The beaches will be full of children’s laughter as they play in the sand, dipping their toes into the cool water when the heat becomes too much for their tiny feet to handle.  State Beach will be littered with boats full of smiling faces, tied together to create an oasis of fun while tunes blare in the background.

It’s inevitable, thought hard to believe during the winter, but spring will eventually arrive, and summer will be close on its heels.  So take a look, just one more time, at that calendar.  Get those vacation days scheduled.  They’re given to you for a reason; to take the time away from the stresses of everyday life, the stresses of work, to enjoy yourself.

See you at the Lake, friends!

To help plan your vacation, request a copy of our award-winning, and free, Visitor Guide at www.clearlakeiowa.com  It’s filled with information on restaurants, lodging, events and MORE all about Clear Lake.

OR, for a general guide to the state of Iowa, Travel Iowa launched their visitor guide today.  https://traveliowa.com/simplev/1/