July has long been the go-to month for family vacations—a chance to step away from our busy schedules, nagging house projects and bottomless to-do lists. Stepping back isn’t just nice to have; study after study shows that taking time off boosts our well-being and helps us return to work refreshed and more productive.

Yet for many households right now, summer travel plans look a bit different. The American Hotel and Lodging Association recently reported that 18% of Americans are passing on summer travel plans due to rising costs, while a third are pivoting to cheaper destinations closer to home. Here in North Carolina, we saw that shift firsthand over the Fourth of July weekend, when AAA estimated a record 2.3 million of us traveled at least 50 miles from home.

With 41% of households already facing financial hardship according to United Way’s 2026 ALICE report, rising costs are forcing many to think creatively about how to preserve personal well-being while staying financially grounded—a quality-of-life challenge facing our workforce and impacting local economies.

At the root of much of this financial strain is housing, which remains the single largest expense for most families. When housing costs outpace incomes, the margin for everything else–including rest and recovery–shrinks. Addressing these foundational pressures is exactly why our team is hard at work planning the 2027 Emerging Issues Forum: Future Forward Housing, where leaders from across the state will collaborate on solutions to build a more affordable, sustainable housing infrastructure for North Carolina.

Luckily, time away doesn’t require a plane ticket or a week in the mountains or on the coast. Sometimes recovery is as simple as exploring a nearby park, getting lost in a book or hosting an unhurried evening with neighbors in the backyard. As we navigate these changing times, I hope you take time this summer—whether it’s a week away or a quiet afternoon—to pause, recharge and enjoy the beauty right here in our home state.