If you stop for just a moment in the middle of your busy, busy life, and look outside your window, you’ll notice something is happening right before your eyes.Spring is here with warm days and flowers peaking out of the ground just yearning to bloom.

Your taxes are done (hopefully), and Uncle Sam has either paid or is paying you and now the question on your mind is what am I going to do about a vacation this year? If you’re like millions of other people in America, the exotic trip to the islands or the escape to the Motherland is so close you can taste it. Unfortunately, you just can’t pay for it! But just because you can’t afford to physically go to the foreign locale of your dreams doesn’t mean you can’t transport yourself there right in your own home.

Creating an at-home getaway is the easiest, most inexpensive way to get the taste of the place you want to go, without spending the money it takes to fly there. So as vacation season gears up, it’s time for you to put it in gear by following these five easy steps for bringing the world you want to see to your front door!

Step 1: Pick Your Destination

Okay, so this one is pretty self-explanatory, but worth mentioning anyway. You have to know where you’re going. If you’ve always wanted to go to South Africa because going on a safari has been your dream since you were 10 years old, then that’s where you’re going! But if you have no clue about where you want to go, take a look at a map (the CIA World Factbook online let’s you look at the world continent by continent) and just pick a place. But remember, knowing your destination will help you later on when planning your at-home getaway, so choose wisely.

Step 2: Do Your Homework

Just because you’re grown doesn’t mean you don’t have homework to do! Take a trip to your local library and pick up cookbooks, travel books, leisure reading books, and magazines that will give you basic information about the culture and lifestyle of your destination. A picture is worth a thousand words and seeing what your destination looks like in real life will help you immensely when planning your getaway.

Step 3: Plan Your At-Home Getaway

So this is the fun part. You’ve picked your place, done your homework, and now you’re ready to put it to work! Planning your getaway is just like planning a party; you have to figure out when you’re going to get away, who is coming with you and what you’re going to eat, wear, and do.

Your scenario may be that you and your friends have always wanted to take a girlfriends’ trip to Brazil, but nobody can afford it right now. So you, being the brilliantly beautiful and modern woman that you are, decide to turn your house into a beachside cabana and invite your girlfriends to spend the night one weekend when you are all free. You’ve read the books, so you know that Carnival is the biggest, most elaborate celebration the country has and you want to recreate that fun for yourself and your girls! All that’s left is planning the menu (search the internet for lesser known websites like Maria - Brazil that give authentic menu ideas and recipes) and your decorations (try the ever-so-thorough Martha Stewart website).

Step 4: Go Shopping

Now what modern woman doesn’t want to go shopping for her own party? Be sure that before you go to any store or website, you make a list. You’re going to need at least two: one for your food and one for your decorations.

Step 5: Party Hard

It’s time to get away! You’ve planned well and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. So make your food, display your decorations, and wait for the fun to start rolling! And be sure to take pictures; after all, this is your well-deserved summer getaway!