Summer Vacation

Summer Vacation

It's August the last few days of the summer vacation for many. In the middle of June I was running down the hall way of my high school celebrating the last class before summer vacation. During the run I was jumping up and down and raising my arms like I just scored a touchdown because school was over and my vacation had begun. I was free from taking tests, memorizing historical events and trying to learn proper English. The only thing I enjoyed at school was math, science and my friends. The rest of school was not fun for me. Summer vacation was the high point of my year.

Then came August and it was almost over - UGH!!!!


I appreciated every moment of those last few summer days. When in high school, my current wife saw summer vacation differently. When August came she couldn't wait until the time off from school was over because she could spend time with all her high school girlfriends who she missed during the summer. She liked school because it was fun for her.


Being an executive made vacations less desirable. I was concerned about what I would be coming back to when I returned to work. My Boss often called me while on vacation which made me feel I was still working. It also didn't help spending my little time off with a wife who I was not getting along with and two small children who were needy all the time.


Getting older has many benefits. One big benefit is you can take vacations without kids and with the person you either love or are great friends. If you both like to do the same things on vacation, that's a big plus. However, it's also OK to go somewhere together, but do different things each day. Some married and unmarried couples like to take separate vacations. If it makes them happy they should do so because individual happiness is the purpose of any vacation.


One of the other important elements of vacation is breaking from your daily routine. My routine is getting up and having my cheerios, walking and feeding the dog, going to the gym, write a Blog or a Manuscript, watch sports on TV, walk and feed the dog again, eat dinner home or go out, watch more TV and go to sleep. It's a full day and I enjoy it, but it's nice to have a change.


When I go to Las Vegas, my routine is whatever the hell I feel like doing. No Blog, no dog, no gym (unless I feel up to it) and just a little TV. My wife and I decide what we are going to do when we wake up that morning (if we wake up in the morning in Vegas time has no time frame). Some days all we do is eat, get drunk and gamble. That's a great happy vacation for Ellen and me.


In January we are going on a boat cruse with a few friends. Most of them have already booked their excursions. Ellen and I haven't booked anything because we don't know what we want to do each day until that day starts. If we miss something, we know we'll find something else that we'll enjoy. We like vacations to be as spontaneous as possible. We like our everyday life to be spontaneous, but with daily responsibilities it's not always possible.


When I was working, I preferred to take my vacation in the fall or spring. Summer vacations are filled with tourists and people who don't know where the hell they're going. Taking a vacation when nobody else at work is taking one is more fun. It breaks up the year better. You know you have a full staff to keep the business going and it makes you feel you have more control of your vacation.


The main objective of any vacation is a change of scenery, doing something you don't do at home or work, eliminate as much stress as possible and having fun. It doesn't have to be a big trip to a foreign country to meet those criteria. A friend of mine took his wife to the Ritz Carlton, a ten minute ride from their house. They stayed in a suite overlooking the boats in the jetty. They relaxed in the pool, ate fabulous meals and walked around the Marina. Their four day vacation, without kids, dogs or any other pressures from home, was one of their best vacations.


Sooo, if you're taking time off in these last days of summer start by being grateful you have the time and the means to take a vacation in the first place. There are many, many people in America and around the world that never get the opportunity to take a vacation. Therefore;

I hope you realize that vacation is for you not your spouse, boyfriend, kids or relatives. This is your time to get away from it all and have as much fun as possible. YOU DESERVE IT!!!!