Big Magic at Home: Lessons from a Year of Staycations

I’ve felt wanderlust for as long as I can remember.

I was born and raised in Canada, but my extended family lived in far corners of the globe, in Poland and Australia. Those places felt like entire worlds away, and all I wanted was to go there.

For better or worse, I’ve often believed happiness was somewhere else. Somewhere warm, near the ocean, with breathtaking landscapes and endlessly kind people. I truly thought that if I could just find the “right” place on earth, I’d never feel restless again.

As lovely as that dream was, I now see how much I used the idea of travel as a form of escape.

As a child, I blasted island music through my headphones and devoured magazines and books filled with tropical images - my antidote to stress and reality. Later, as an adult, I traveled often. I lived in France for a year teaching English, traveled through Australia, and explored countless other countries. It was beautiful and enriching.

And to be fair, travel can be deeply meaningful. It can lift spirits, reconnect us with family and friends, and open doors to new experiences. I’ve flown to Switzerland twice to support my sister through surgeries, and despite the circumstances, those trips were full of lasting joy and connection.

But this year, I tried something different. Instead of spending my vacation days on trips, I used them for mini-staycations - time carved out for creativity and for being present with my two little girls, almost 2 and 5.

Those creative Fridays have been magical. I picked up a paintbrush again, despite the million reasons why I “didn’t have time.” And something shifted. My heart brightened, my mind lightened, and I felt a joy I hadn’t touched in years. Each Friday, I chipped away at a painting, letting go of rules and fears for a few hours. Just painting for the sake of painting.

Eventually, I opened an Etsy shop to share those pieces - art born from that deep wellspring of creativity we all carry inside.

On those Fridays, I also began writing this Substack, Surrendering. Because to create, to live in truth, we don’t need anything but surrender. It’s not about striving or skill—it’s about releasing into the present moment, into that state of oneness that no shiny trip can buy.

This year of staycations gave me something far more lasting than any passport stamp: space to cultivate what brings meaning and freedom. To dance with the creative force of life. To express myself in ways only I can.

Like most things worth having, it required sacrifice. I had to give up something - travel and its distractions - to make room for something deeper. Everyone has their own version of that give-and-take with the universe.

And the result? Pure magic. Big Magic, as Elizabeth Gilbert would say.

My dream now is to keep these creative Fridays going and maybe grow them into two or three days a week. That will mean asking for more time off work, stepping out of my comfort zone as a recovering people-pleaser. But surrendering isn’t for the faint of heart, and I’m ready.

I’m just at the beginning of this journey, and I’m so grateful for this community where we can cheer each other on as we chase our own big, creative magic.

Here we go

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