We buy a sofa instead of a ski trip, not taking into account that we will get used to the sofa very quickly and that it will stop being a source of happiness, while the vacation will likely stay in our minds foralong time.
One overlooked alternative is a study-abroad vacation, which is as suitable for long-term university students as for families trying to fill a couple weeks in August.
The Rice Mill Lofts, a riverfront apartment complex that Cummings plans to turn into a hub for creative-types looking for long-term vacation stays in New Orleans, was built in 2011 using reclaimed wood from the Mississippi River and is decorated with graffiti leftover from when the building sat vacant after Katrina.