recharge – Postcards From TLC

Recently, I came across a news report that says Americans are not using their vacation time. 42% take no vacation time off at all, and a large number leave at least 5 days per year on the table. Furthermore, 46% of bosses take a pile of work on vacation with them. Why? Why would you leave vacation time behind or take a pile of work with you?

Of those surveyed for this report, here are the reasons why workers leave vacation time on the books:

Too much work piles up while they are on vacay
They believe no one else can do their job
They don’t have the funds to go anywhere
They don’t want to appear to be replaceable
They believe they are showing more loyalty and worth to their company and job

Really? Work will be there every, single day. It’s not going anywhere. Does it matter that some tasks may be delayed a bit? Probably not. Do you think you are THAT irreplaceable? Do you think your company would simply shut down if they had to let you go? No! Everyone is expendable, and in today’s world, a lot of businesses can find someone to learn your job and do it for probably less than they paid you. You are no more loyal or worthy to your company than your co-workers who use their earned time off to re-set and refresh.
Here are the reasons I believe it’s imperative to use up ALL of my vacation time:

To unwind from the stress of work
To re-charge from drab winter weather
To rebound from fatigue that results in diminished attentiveness
To replenish the energy reservoir
To experience new people and places, which refreshes the mind-set

And I believe some of these reasons are even more valid than they appear. Where I live, winter means cold temperatures, shorter days (sometimes it’s already dark when I walk out of work), and sometimes blustery, snowy, icy days. These all can take a toll on the energy levels, so getting away to somewhere warm and sunny can really help alleviate that.
So what can you do to get the most of your vacation days and make it less stressful to take a week or two away?

plan in advance–commit and get your trip planned and booked
inform work as soon as you know what days you will be out
start organizing the job duties and prioritize those that have deadlines
be sure you have a co-worker (or two) who can be cross-trained to cover for you
communicate and delegate tasks that may not be finalized before you leave
line up who will be house-sitting, watching the kids, feeding the pets, etc. in advance
don’t wait until the last minute to pack, try packing a few items a day during the week before
set your “out of office” messages, unplug, AND
get to the airport, train station, port, bus station (or wherever you are departing from) in plenty of time so you can get the heck out of town and begin having a relaxing, fun time

Please don’t be one of the ranks who leaves their vacation days sitting on the table. Get out of the office and re-charge your batteries. However, if you are going to have unused time off, please don’t hesitate to contact my employer and offer to donate them to TLC Postcards! Well, time for me to go pack a few items–I’m leaving soon for my mid-winter re-charge!

I don’t do never-ending trips, living out of my backpack, forgoing my home address, staying at hostels. I don’t choose to travel to obscure places, with nothing but a carry-on, working along the way to pay my way, or seek out particularly adventurous activities. You will never find me sky-diving in Singapore, or extreme hiking a volcano in Hawaii. Those are great endeavors for those younger, with fewer responsibilities, or fewer restraints who have higher aspirations in their lives. I don’t knock them for it. I admire them for it, and more power to them for doing it.

That type of travelling is not for me. Maybe a long time ago I would have done some of those things, but I guess I’m just at a point in life where I just like to go places. I like to go nice, pretty places–typically with a beach. I am a scuba diver, so I frequently will go somewhere that has good diving. (I guess I WOULD consider diving with sharks someday, but that’s because most sea creatures don’t even realize you are there.)

I really prefer a nice resort, in a nice locale, with good food, cocktails and company. I like to take trips that I consider relaxing. While I do like to get out and experience the culture and architecture, I do like to come back to my nice resort at the end of the day, have a cocktail or two, eat a nice dinner (especially if there is seafood involved), watch the sunset, and maybe catch an entertaining show.

I like to meet and mingle with the other guests at my resort, whether it’s Don and Stephanie who live a couple of hours away from us back home, or Jeff and Terri from New Jersey, or Paul and Silvia who live in another country.

The gang at dinner — Dinner with new friends

I’m not a fan of “roughing” it, which means I like air-conditioned (or heated) rooms when necessary. Sometimes, I just like to have a day to sit in my chair on the beach and read a mindless novel. Maybe I want to go up to the resort spa and get a massage. There may even be an evening where I don’t even want to go to dinner. I like a resort that will let me order room service. Sometimes, I’m happy when the resort brings local vendors in to peddle their wares. I’m not big on shopping, but this allows me to pick up the few necessary souvenirs without finding a driver to take me on a shopping trip.

I always try to take a couple of excursions when in a new locale, however, I don’t really feel zip-lining, parasailing, or horseback riding in the ocean are activities I need to do in every, single country I visit. Been there, done that. I will go out on a boat almost anywhere. It’s a good way to see some of the natural scenery. Now, if it includes a pirate show, lobster dinner, or snorkeling stops during the ride–BONUS! I like tours that include history of the area or cultural information. Sometimes, I may even join in on volunteer excursions. Or, I can just park it at the beach or pool and be perfectly content.

Maybe that makes me a boring person, or selfish, or whatever. I think I’m just a typical person who likes to use vacation time away to re-charge while not completely being a beach bum. I try to experience all aspects of my trip and just BE in the moment and creating memories. Feel free to comment below on how you like to vacation. I’d like to hear if there are others like me.

Tag: recharge

Not Using Your Vacation Time?

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I'm no Wanderer, Nomad, or Expeditioner

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