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. 🙂
-J
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. 🙂
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.
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. 😛
I think that’s a fantastic idea! I hope you tell us all about it!
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.