Vacations

It's been a while since I got time off from the office for a vacation. This string of holidays is a welcome interruption to my daily routine and work related stress.

I realized two things:
1. I missed going on long vacations;
2. I no longer know what to do on a vacation.

I remember the summer breaks from school where I had 2 full months to do whatever I wanted. The possibilities were endless and I was equal to the challenge of filling my days with laughter, daydreaming, quiet reading, and the occasional fights with my siblings.

Working has altered my meaning of “vacation.” Vacation now means taking a day or two off from work to do personal errands or because of an illness. Wouldn’t it be great if I could put “To catch up on sleep,” “To lie in bed and read all day,” or “To watch 2 movies with my siblings” as my reasons for taking a day or two off?

That brings me to my second realization; I no longer know what to do on a 4-day vacation. My first mistake was to bring home the office laptop. I figured, since I wasn’t going to have all the other work related tasks, I might as well tackle some of my backlog.

Every time I saw the laptop lying on the table, I’d have the strongest urge to sit down in front of it and work. I would mentally make a list of the things I wanted to work on and set a deadline for each task.

I found myself feeling guilty for sitting and reading the morning away or for staying at the table to share some laughs with my family. So, on the last day of my vacation, I woke up and promised myself I would not open the laptop the whole day. I had a wonderful day doing whatever caught my fancy: I wrote lengthily in my journal, finished reading my book, and watched some TV. I smiled to myself and said this is what a vacation should be.

Today is day 1 of my 3-day weekend. I’m off to a good start because I decided to leave the office laptop where it belongs – at the office. I spent this morning reading SELF magazine and picking up healthier food options and interesting exercises. I took a nap and then proceeded to play Mall Tycoon and Luxor on the PC.

I still get fleeting thoughts of doing some work but I do not allow myself to feel guilty for keeping work away. After all, I’m on vacation.