Destination: Unknown...But I'm Thinking on It

I'm thinking of taking a vacation. Yeah. Me. Mrs. Stay-at-Home. I've been thinking on this quite a bit because, well...why not? I'm certainly old enough. I'm pretty sure we can afford it. And I think it'd be good for me. I just can't decide where to go. Any suggestions? I'm not into camping (and wouldn't want to camp alone even if I were), I don't have a passport and I. DO. NOT. FLY. I know, I know. I'm limiting myself just a tad bit, huh? I just want to go and do something fun. It seems like people are always having fun and I'm always sitting at home waiting for....well, hell. I don't know what I'm waiting for. So what brought this on? Well, Randey and the boys are going to Montana the first week in June. This started out as Randey flying up there for a few days to see his dad, whom he hasn't seen in about 8 years. Then one of his brothers decided to go, too. Then another one decided to go and suddenly, Randey's little 3 days trip has turned into an 8-days-at-a-fishing-camp "He-Man Woman Hater's Club" trip (as they so jokingly call it!) for Randey, his 2 brothers, one nephew and my 2 youngest sons. I've been fussing about this trip lately, much to my shame. Then I realized why I'm so ticked about it. I'm jealous. Randey and I have never taken a vacation together. The closest we came was back in March of 1997 when we took a weekend trip to Destin from Gulfport, Mississippi where we were living at the time. And the only reason we got to take that trip was because we agreed to listen to a sales pitch from one of the time-share condo places in Destin. We did spend that week or so alone in San Antonio back in 2003. 'Course, Randey was in the hospital and I stayed in temporary quarters on Lackland Air Force Base. (They were running tests on him, to figure out why his legs kept going numb.) Not exactly anyone's idea of a fun-filled vacation, huh? So anyway...I've been listening to the plans for this trip to Montana go from 3 days to visit an elderly parent to 8 days of fun, fishing and fellowship and I've been pissed off to no end when I think of all the fun he's having just planning this trip while he and I have never planned a trip of our own. The kicker is that I know this will be a wonderful time for all of them. Great fun. Traveling in an RV all the way up to Montana, then spending all that time in cabins next to some fishing hole (or wherever it is that one would find fish in Montana), laughing, talking, experiencing togetherness and all that comes with it. I know it will be fun. I know it will be a memory that Randey and the boys will cherish always. So why can't I stop feeling....I don't know....so petty about it. God help me, I feel like I'm slowly becoming the Invisible Woman. Every member of my household is going on vacation together and I'm going to be left sitting here dog watching. There's no way to say this except just to say it. I'm jealous. I feel left out. Randey did invite me to come along, but really...how much fun could I have on a "He-Man Woman Hater's Club" trip and besides, I don't fish. Eeeww. He and I have talked about taking a trip to New England in the fall. That'd be nice. But in the meantime...I want to go somewhere. I want to feel like I'm a part of life. I want to experience something besides this house, this town, this existence. But now I've got a problem. Where to go? Where can I go for about a week that won't bankrupt us (I'm so notoriously cheap...I can't even think of "vacation" without thinking of "cost". ha!). Where can I go that will offer sightseeing, relaxation, shopping, etc. and where I will feel safe on my own? Any suggestions? Joan, you're a travel agent...you must have some ideas? Help me out here. Where's a good place for me to go? Believe me, guys, this is not a rhetorical question! I'm really asking for advice and guidance. Does anybody out there have any suggestions???? Any and all insights will be appreciated. I've got my suitcase picked out and am ready to fill it...now help me decide what to pack!