I am at this very moment squeezed into a Prius with my husband, my brother, and my parents, hurtling toward my cousin’s wedding in South Carolina. Wheee!
We left early yesterday morning, spent the night in a cheap hotel, and will finally reach our destination later today. I’ll be returning either late Sunday or midday Monday. Obviously, I am freaking the eff out about my to-do list.
I would typically lug my laptop along with me. I even got work done on my honeymoon, for god’s sakes! But I’m trying something new this time. It’s called: not working when you’re not at work. It is hard.
Of course, I’ll be able to check my email on my phone but, beyond that, I’m trying to control myself. We’ll see if I have a nervous breakdown.
So spill it: Do you work when you’re on vacation? Do you double up on work before you leave? Or are you blase about the whole thing, resigning yourself to having to play catch-up upon your return?
Related: Do You Love Your Work More Than You Love… Love?, Clients Not Respecting Your Time? Sorry. That’s Your Fault, Coffee Break: Working on the Weekend
I always work a little, but I wish I didn’t. Emails, checking messages, social media, etc. I really need a vacation with total downtime.
I work on vacation. Haven’t had a “real” vacation without any work since we went to Chicago in 2008. I have worked during every vacation since. Which is why I took 3 weeks off – no work – after the baby is born. Right now I am working on having content/cash to cover me for those 3 weeks. Freelancin’ it ain’t glamorous!
I try to work ahead so that I can relax and have some down time. If I do work, it is only the necessities–stuff with deadlines that couldn’t get done before leaving. I tend to save this for the plane or car ride though, so once we get where we’re going I don’t have to work.
My boyfriend and I are both workaholics so we’ve been known to log a few hours of computer time while on vacation. I think it’s partly a result of Blackberries and wireless internet and VPN networks, which make it possible to work remotely and almost impossible to completely log off. I try to stay in the moment and enjoy the vacay but it’s tough sometimes. 🙂