I have a problem with vacations.

My problem is that I want one. Might even go so far as to say that I NEED one.

It's been several years.

The thing is - I have trouble taking a vacation because there are so many more lasting and responsible things we could do with our money.

If we had money, that is.

One of our cars, a Volkswagen Jetta, is 11 years old. Our other car, a Toyota Matrix, currently has a broken windshield, no hubcaps and a V100 sticker holding the back bumper on. But it's nearly paid off - and not a moment too soon, as we're inching ever closer to reaching the national average for credit card debt.

Our clothes dryer is contemplating a career change (it aspires to be the first icebox with tumbling action), while our air conditioner is going through menopause (unpredictable hot flashes, general moodiness, considerable whining).

Our yard was recently blessed by the appearance of a small pool of black, mucky goo with a scent dogs find irresistible. Black gold? Texas tea? No such luck, although I could bottle and sell this Eau de Swamprot and fund one fine vacation, except few dogs carry cash and the allure of this fragrance doesn't cross over to humans.

I'm a practical person. I understand the difference between a need and a want. I get that it would be irresponsible to traipse off to the beach to get sunburned and sand flea bitten and jellyfish stung. I've calculated the cost of gas to the closest beach and back, have added up how long it would take, how much we'd likely spend eating out.

It's simply not going to happen. There are more pressing priorities.

Generally, I'm good with priorities. Except I can't stop thinking about my daughter, who turns 11 this week.

I want to play in the waves and the sand with my girl before she's too grown to enjoy doing such things with her mom. I want to take her to tacky souvenir shops and spend ages trying to convince her we don't need to liberate hermit crabs. I want to drag her out of bed before dawn so she can experience the sun as it rises over the water.

But at the same time, I want to teach her that we don't always get what we want. That sometimes, we have to do without, that we have to work extra hard to save up for a trip.

And that, with a little creativity, we can have a decent vacation right here at home.

We can go to the wave pool or maybe put up a tent near the woods at my parents' house. Have a campfire. Roast marshmallows and cook hot dogs on a stick.

We can go to Blenko Glass and watch the glass blowers. Go fishing at Ridenour. Take a canoe ride down the Coal River.

We can rearrange furniture (her idea of fun), trade bedrooms, sleep in sleeping bags on the living room floor. Hang out at the dog park.

Spend a day (or three) collecting and pricing stuff for a yard sale, then have the yard sale.

And start building our savings for a trip to the beach.

Karin Fuller can be reached via e-mail at karinful...@cnpapers.com. Her columns can be accessed online through her blog at thegazz.com.