Dawn lives on a hill among 16 acres of farmy land 50 minutes away. In the fall, the view off her western-facing deck is the epitome of Midwestern autumnal glory — hills, turning trees, wheatfields, russet sunsets.

I live in a Victorian in the city. I don’t have a view. I do have a jacuzzi and a big screen TV in my basement.

On a weekend this month, I will bake bread in her old-fashioned kitchen, cook a farm supper, and let the kids run through the fields with the dogs.

Dawn and her family will go to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner and watch something suitably special-effectsy on the TV, and maybe soak in the tub.

We have led ourselves to believe we’ve had a weekend away. We have no problem perpetuating this myth year after year.

$ Cost: usual weekend entertainment expenses + gas

# Pain: if you can get over any neat freak or privacy issues, very little.

Variation: house-sit over their vacation or visit www.houseswap.com to try this with strangers (at your own risk)

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