View From the Tenth Level

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

I've got to take annual leave at work. Not that I want to - I have to, as I've accumulated too much holiday time for my employer to feel comfortable. I can take a month off and still have four weeks of leave left over.

It's never a good time for me to go on leave. There's always a project that I'm overseeing. I manage two employees and oversee their work. And when I get back, there's more work for me to urgently address, than there was before I left.

Don't get me wrong - I love time to myself and I love time off. It's just that there's always a price to pay for spending time away from work.

And then there are the logistical nightmares. My family is spread across the United States. No one is able to come to a designated centralized area to meet up in - not even after we've flown half way around the planet. Instead, Dan and I will have to drive completely across the country at great expense and up and down the coast to see everyone. I told someone where we'd be staying, and could they drive two hours to spend the day with us. That apparently is too far, and could we consider driving an extra two hours instead?

Dan has to take out a loan in order to travel with me this year. We've been looking forwards to a nice holiday for two years. And now I'm dreading it.

By the time I get back to work, after the first week, I'll be in need of another vacation, which I won't dare to take. It'll take my boss telling me that I have to take a holiday to get me to take one again. And, like a masochist, I will go through this same scenario again.

Somewhere, the god of travel is laughing at me.

posted by Melanie O. at 6:06 PM -

6 Comments:

At 9:24 AM, David said…

Dan's going too? That should make your trip even more entertaining!
I don't suppose they're all willing to stop by Arizona? (if I got the right place).
I sometimes plan my holidays so I arrive back home on the Sunday but don't return to work until the Tuesday or Wednesday so I have a short week to make the return a bit easier.
At 9:54 AM, Melanie O. said…

Yep - he's taking out a loan. He said I needed someone to carry my bags, LOL!

Unfortunately, this is just one of those times where family all can't be together all in one place, so we'll be making the rounds - from coast to coast practically. It will be exhausting, but we're scheduling some time in just for ourselves, so it should all balance out (I hope!)
At 1:57 PM, Ann said…

I was going to say make sure you have some time somewhere nice for yourselves then read you reply to David. I wish someone would force me to take leave. I have the opposite problem, more days booked than I have leave - 7.5 weeks and counting! Can't come quickly enough.
At 3:43 PM, Melanie O. said…

Ann - I think the accumulated leave time may officially make me a workaholic.

If I could sell you a couple of weeks, I would! ;)
At 12:01 PM, David said…

I'll pay more than she will! :-)
At 5:10 AM, Kanani said…

Well, I can meet you either in Phoenix or Tucson. Just give me enough time to plan the travel. I have to be out there for labor day in September, if it works out fine.

If not, then would you consider an overnight at LAX?

Logistics! Let me know how I can help.