where should we meet for our one week together?

Every August, my partner and I finally get a week to see each other in person—she’s in Miami for grad school, I’m in San Francisco, and we’re both tired of airports and FaceTime. This year, we want something special before she’s buried in textbooks again. We’ve got about $4-5k to spend, but here’s the catch: California and Florida are off the table (we know every coffee shop and park bench in both states by now), and we just did Mexico and Hawaii, so those are out too. We want somewhere that feels like a real escape, but not so quiet that we’re bored after three days. I suggested Aruba, she mentioned Jackson Hole, and Alaska came up too, but honestly, none of them have us both excited. I keep picturing us in a fancy resort, but then I wonder if we’ll just end up staring at our phones after day three. Plus, I can’t help but worry about the weather or crowds in August—last time we tried a popular spot, we spent more time in line than relaxing. Has anyone found a spot that’s got both chill vibes and enough to do, especially for a couple that only gets this one week a year? I’d love to hear about places that surprised you or even spots you’d avoid. I feel like we’re stuck in a rut of the same old destinations, and I’m worried we’ll waste our precious time together on something underwhelming. Anyone else ever feel like the more you try to plan the perfect trip, the harder it gets? #couplestravel #longdistance #vacationplanning #Travel