Some of us have never been married, much less been a housewife, but it doesn't take much of an imagination to see domesticity can become dull or frustrating. So much is written about "girlfriend getaways" but who ever talks about the solo housewife break?
Women, perhaps especially wives and mothers, are so busy giving to others that very often they neglect themselves. Being a martyr, especially a tired and grumpy one, won't earn you any points in the long run.
So take my advice: get the heck away from the walls that bind you, the cooking, cleaning, crying kids and demanding hubby. Take your iPhone, drawing pad, comfy sneakers and anything else that brings you happiness but just go alone.
Paris
Whether you come for the French Open, or simply long to stroll along the Seine, Paris will bring out the explorer, single gal and giddy kid in you. Stay in the 10th Arrondissement where you can escape a lot of the tourists and just take in the people, cafes, and sites. Don't miss Sacre Coeur, Musee d'Orsay and La Tour Eiffel ...oui, bien sur!
Cheyenne, Wyoming
This writer stumbled across Cheyenne when driving east on I-80 15 years ago. Charming, cowboys everywhere, peaceful, cheap lodging. Wyoming is the least populated (by humans) state in the Union--the ideal getaway for harried housewives from L.A.
San Francisco
Whether you are boating under the Golden Gate Bridge, devouring seafood at Fisherman's Wharf (Alioto's!) or getting your science geek on at the Exploratorium, the City by the Bay is always evolving. Yes, you've been there before, but unless you've been to San Francisco recently, you haven't seen what she's done with herself.
Belize
The country is a British Commonwealth with some 350,000 residents. It touts the second largest barrier reef in the world and overflows with diverse wildlife. This is the holiday for the erudite housewife who's ready to brush off her passport.
Manhattan
Skip Times Square and head straight to Chelsea or Lower Manhattan. The new Freedom Tower rises like a geometric poem, its glass panels reflecting both sun and clouds - fitting for the building that replaces a fallen World Trade Center tower. Then take the 6 train up through Midtown and get off at 59th and Lex. Tip: Central Park is brimming with flora and fauna, is good for a skate or walk or even a nap under a tree (don't bring a purse.) Pick up a lunch at Whole Foods at Columbus Circle (59th Str. Subway) and kill an hour or six.
Photos: From top: (1) Cheyenne, Wyoming. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Images: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67441; (2) Central Park, by Laurie Wiegler; (3) Belize. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Images: By Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada - Belize-0847, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22597634; (4) Central Park, by Laurie Wiegler; (5) Eiffel Tower, by Laurie Wiegler; (6) Self, Cheyenne, Wyo., Laurie Wiegler; (7) Paris street scene, 2007, by Laurie Wiegler; (8) By Vincent Bloch - Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1004611
This article originally appeared on Examiner.com, May 22, 20164
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