I know that as you read this, I’m sitting in the sun and basking in the happy end of yet another workday. Probably people are cavorting around me as I rifle through grad school text, attempting to absorb as much as possible on the first go so that the citations I will have to do later for Discussion Board will come to me more easily. Is that on page 150 or 161? It’s all blurring together.
Why, you ask? Because it is high time for me to hit the road! Every year since 2004, well other than during the madness that was 2010, I actually took to the skies at some point between June and September. And while it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen this summer, short of some very nice anonymous benefactor, I hope to at least go to the beach for the 4th? time in less than a year. That would top the amount of times I had gone previously in all of my life. Fascinating. It’s still a thrill to hear that body of water roar though, and even nice to sit on the sand in beach chairs and/or take a stroll along its shores.
In any event, one thing I’m definitely looking forward to is a few days off of work. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that I still have 19 vacation hours available that will expire on the 28th of this month. Yeah I could allow them to cash out, which would probably give me more dough in the end. But the reality is I need some downtime more than that slight bump in pay. I saw a stat somewhere that 41% of American workers take no vacation time at all. This is just unfathomable to me.
Other than time off, what else am I looking forward to? Well, all of your standard stuff of course. Ice cream sundaes, watermelon, a real, grilled burger! More books than I can cound or probably should even be reading at the moment (I will hit 20 by the end of the month, so 40 could still happen?) Who knows. And freedom from heavy clothing, except on the buses where merciless drivers will continue to insist on cranking the AC as high as it goes.
So here’s to the summer, and whatever it holds. In reality, it makes me miss the joy of camps and making new friends while sprawled out for weeks away from home.
Related: Summer Time, Current and Past
My favorite silly summer camp story
Yay, my favorite time of year! Do you have any special plans? A big summer trip? Or at least some time to just take it easy, which is equally, if not more, important. After all, even after a big trip, one usually needs a vacation from one’s vacation. Tell me about them.