A lament to the lost art of weekend getaways

Confession: I love buying luggage. About a week ago I came across an elephant print weekender bag that I fell in love with and I ordered it on the spot. After the initial rush of excitement faded though, reality set in and it occurred to me that I don't really need a weekender bag. I don't take weekend trips.

At first I thought it was just me, but many people I've spoken to about this agree - they rarely take weekend trips either. Why have we lost the art of the weekend getaway? Weekenders are really affordable, fun, spontaneous, and give you a chance to get away from your daily life.

Almost immediately after deciding to write about the lost art of weekend trips I read a psychology study published in Conde Nast Traveler that suggests spontaneity, surprise and a sense of adventure all contribute significantly to happy marriages. The study gave me an excellent idea. What if you improved your marriages and brought back the weekend trip at the same time?

I have a challenge for you: Plan 6 mini-trips between now and July 2016, and make sure that all 6 are a surprise for one spouse. That's right, I'm suggesting that one of you plan the whole thing, and tell your significant other only what to pack and when you're leaving. Bonus points if you pack for them. Then for the next trip, switch roles and let them plan everything.

Let's be honest - planning a vacation together can be incredibly stressful. There's the bickering over details, the pressure to fit everything in, and the anxiety over whether the trip will be a rewarding experience for both people. It's exhausting.

Surprise trips decrease stress to a minimal level. Bickering is a non-issue when one person has no idea what's going on. The only foreseeable stress is over what activities to plan to please everyone. Here's my suggestion: plan a trip that fulfills all of your expectations, and don't worry about trying to guess your spouse's. As long as you're happy and having fun, they will be too. And then next time they get to plan their dream trip with all of their expectations fulfilled. It's a perfect balance.

There is also a third option for particularly adventurous couples: trips that require no planning at all. If neither of you are master planners, or you want to try something new, just hop in the car and pick a direction. Or go to the airport and book the next departing flight. It's surprisingly easy to find cheap reservations for rooms, flights, and activities on the fly, and if nobody knows where you're headed the only thing to argue about is who picks the music.

Next time: Everything you want to know about vacation rentals (and a bunch of stuff you probably don't).

Julianna Satterly is a Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy graduate who worked as the Editor in Chief of her college newspaper at Washington and Lee University for 3 years. She's lived in 3 states, visited 28 others, and has toured 13 countries. Contact her at juliannasatterly@gmail.com, or on Facebook or Twitter at @jsattz.