Have you ever dreamed of taking a vacation just for yourself? No kids, no husband, no dog? Then you thought of all the reasons you couldn’t, such as money, children or time away from your job? Well throw that kind of thinking right out the door. You can take a vacation just for yourself. You can afford to and you deserve to have some time away.
Two years ago I decided it was time for me to take a personal vacation. I, like most mothers, work forty hours a week at a job, I care for my children, keep a clean house and keep everyone well fed and reasonably happy. So, where in all that would I find time for me? I learned that in order to find time for me I had to make time for me. I needed a vacation and I needed one with out my family. Any mother knows that a family vacation is a vacation for the children and the husband, you as a mother still end up working. Granted it’s not at your workplace but it’s still work. You still have to care for the children, you still have to cook, to do dishes and keep everyone happy. It ends up your more tired from vacation that you would have been had you worked at your job all week. You need to go back to work to rest.
Do I feel selfish, guilty for thinking this way? You bet but, I didn’t let that deter me. I deserve my time. I began planning my vacation after calling a few close friends and telling them my idea. They all excitedly told me that if I could find something cheap enough they would be more than happy to join me.
My first step was to call the local travel agents in my area. Bad idea! They gave me some wonderful vacation packages but all had huge price tags attached. I wanted a small vacation and didn’t want to have to sell my first born to afford it.
Second step, I began looking through the telephone book and calling resorts and hotels in the area I planned on vacationing at. What I found was informative as well as reasonable.
1. If you plan a vacation in off season (non-peak times) the rates are reduced by nearly half the original cost for a suite/room/cabin.
2. Most resorts/hotels have rooms that sleep up to six people, have small kitchenettes and two baths for one flat price. Split this price with several friends and the savings are incredible. What normally you couldn’t afford you now find you can easily afford.
My plan was to arrange a four day mini-vacation for under three hundred dollars. I searched the area I was interested in going to. I had certain criteria that had to be met. I wanted to spend only three hundred dollars for the entire long weekend. I wanted a resort with an indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a gym. I wanted a location not more that five hours drive from where I lived. I wanted an area with plenty of attractions. After several phone calls I decided on a beautiful resort located near the White Mountains in New Hampshire. I chose the small town of North Conway. The town offered many attractions such as outlet malls, quaint little shops; hiking, biking and walking trails all nestled at the base of the beautiful snowcapped White Mountain Range. I chose off peak time, early spring and got the best rates for lodging. The resort my friends and I stayed at offered all the amenities, swimming pool, sauna, gym and several shops and restaurants on the premise. The entire weekend cost me under my set goal of three hundred dollars and that included some shopping and all meals. We, my friends and I, had such a great time that each year in the spring they now look forward to our annual mini-vacation. This year I think we’ll try the coast. I hear it’s beautiful in the spring.
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