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Vacation at home? Why not!

OK. So.

I've been working here at [Fortune 100 behemoth corporation] since April 2003. I've averaged somewhere around 65 high-intensity hours per week since I started. I have taken no vacation.

I'm starting to crack.

So a few weeks ago, I marked the week of 7/26-7/31 as my PTO on our team calendar and my intent was just to stay at home and relax, write a lot of songs, and generally recuperate.

Then I got the idea that I might be able to afford a little vacation. Somewhere beach-y, perhaps. Somewhere conducive to relaxing and writing a lot of songs.

Brainstormed with Karsten about it this morning, then spent over an hour on Expedia.com trying to find a package I could be happy spending the money on. There wasn't much to choose from that seemed worth the money. Also, given how expensive everything was going to be, we couldn't afford to go anywhere for more than a few days, and I dread the idea of all the planning, preparation, packing, and whatnot that goes along with taking a trip for just a few measly days away.

And then it hit me. Why not stay home, but pretend we're on vacation? Treat ourselves to nice dinners we wouldn't normally indulge in, go visit tranquil spots, maybe even pamper ourselves with a massage.

So I threw together a spreadsheet. (Yes, I'm that anal detail-oriented.) It's way, way cheaper to do this, even assuming all of the most ridiculously extravagant things we could do in town.

I think it's a plan. :-)

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 16th, 2004 at 5:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “Vacation at home? Why not!”

  1. Avatartherealjae
    Posted: Jul 16th, 2004 at 6:52 am
    1

    did this with much success fairly recently. I think it’s a wonderful idea.

    -J

    Reply to this comment.
  2. Avatarvito_excalibur
    Posted: Jul 16th, 2004 at 7:18 am
    2

    That does sound nice! You could do all the stuff that locals never go do unless an out-of-towner comes to visit.

    And if you can at all afford it, it might be nice to take a day trip somewhere & spend the night at a bed & breakfast. Nothing is as sexy as spending the night in a place you didn’t have to clean. :)

    Reply to this comment.
  3. Avatarkightp
    Posted: Jul 16th, 2004 at 7:35 am
    3

    I’ve taken stay-at-home vacations for years. No pretending about it. You know the bed will be comfortable, the service to your tastes - and you don’t have to pack.

    One suggestion: Tell everyone you work with that you’re going out of town, and do not not answer the phone or check your work e-mail until you “get back.” Seriously.

    Reply to this comment.
  4. Avataraiela
    Posted: Jul 16th, 2004 at 7:45 am
    4

    What she said. Caller ID is your friend. Tell them you’re going far, far away. Like, into the middle of the ocean or something. :P

    Reply to this comment.
  5. Avatarminnaleigh
    Posted: Jul 16th, 2004 at 9:20 am
    5

    I think that’s a fantastic idea! I hope you tell us all about it!

    Reply to this comment.
  6. Avatarstarstraf
    Posted: Jul 18th, 2004 at 2:45 am
    6

    I’m detailed and planning oriented and pooch is not, so sometimes it makes vacations hard. Last major trip (England) we came up with a GREAT compromise. I had a composition book filled with plans that you could do in a day. IE - Day trip to Stone henge, Brish museum, tower of london. Each morning at breakfast I handed the book to Pooch and he picked a planned day.

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