Opinion: 5 Reasons Why It's Time For A Vacation

It's been cold, it's been snowy, it's been icy, it's been rainy and that's the way February is every year for all Long Islanders. I know the bills are always coming in with higher numbers and work hours just seem to get longer as we all get older but guess what? It's time to take a vacation. Here are five good reasons:

1. Life can be difficult. There are hardships that comes with being a responsible person. Every now and then good mental health and a moral boost is needed. To achieve this, one must step out of your responsible mode, put it on hold and go somewhere warm, beautiful and tropical to combat the February blues.

2. While there may be very few deals, except, perhaps, Las Vegas, right now as everyone is looking to get away — there is nothing like a drive to Florida. With two stops at a motel the round trip will cost you perhaps $150 to $200 and the baggage is free. In fact you can take as many any size suitcases as you can fit in the car, free! With traffic lately you won't even know you are on a long drive and quite frankly once you get beyond the New Jersey Turnpike, it's all good.

3. If you have the cash a quick flight to a warm place is never awful. The minute you step off the plane and feel that first blast of warm air you will be smiling and congratulating yourself for going on a vacation. The thought of shorts, short sleeve T-shirts, deck shoes/sandals and no socks is dreamy. Why listen to the arctic breeze when you can be picking a tiki bar to muzzle up to and order a frozen drink?

4. A surprise vacation is a good move to reward the wife, husband, girlfriend, partner or even children with a nice change of scenery. The idea of temporarily stepping out of a winter February and into a tropical reality is as pleasant as smelling warm tasty coconut shrimp coming your way. Every now and then you have to do a vacation. Mostly now when the weather is terrible almost daily.

5. The last reason and perhaps the best is so you can post photos of yourself enjoying life on a warm beach with cold drinks daily on social media. Let's face it — being in a wonderful place and knowing folks you may not totally love are home enduring the February winter will momentarily put a smile on your face. I bet you know where your favorite bathing suits are and maybe need an excuse to buy a new one. Think of the sea breezes. Feeling the warm sun. Taking long beach walks. Eating outside and swimming in a warm oceans, pristine bays, clear rivers or even just a swimming pool with a great view.

So what do you say? Is it time to get away to play and run away from work, at least for a few days? I say "yes". I say, "Go for it. Live life and treat yourself to something special." After all why be miserable like most people up north are during winter in February?

Photo by T.J. Clemente.

This post is contributed by a community member. The views expressed in this post are the author's. Registered users are welcome to post on Patch.