Vacations & time off – be sure to use/enjoy them

***Updated for 2024***

As part of what I’ve called The Wealth Series, I think vacations and time off are important to your enjoyment and health. The human body isn’t meant to continuously work; rest is a vital part of your make up. Yet, many of us work as much as we can with little to no time off, little to no rest, and our bodies and family pay the price.

*Full disclosure: I used to work a lot. I worked as much overtime as I could to sock money away in retirement accounts in preparation for the time when I no longer want/can work like I did then. I didn’t want retirement to happen to me; I wanted to be as prepared for it as I possibly could. The situation is different today. I don’t work as many hours as I once did. The overtime hours were traded for classes – they take up time just like the overtime did. Still, I know what it’s like working what seems to be ALL the time and can write with that perspective.

My wife is a stay-at-home mom and while her work is invaluable (read that as more important than what I do), the burden to pay all the bills, save, and provide for our family is on me. No problem; that’s the way we have things structured. Because of this, I’m very aware of what I need to do and work as if it all depends on me – because it does.

That said, I take vacations and take time off. I’ve worked shutdowns and jobs where the need was great – but my body eventually paid for it. Lack of rest catches up to all of us eventually.*

Theodore Roosevelt National Park on one of our vacations

Vacations and Time Off in a Pandemic

This is what most people think of when they think of vacations

As I’ve written elsewhere, this past year was a dumpster fire for many reasons. We are still dealing with many problems, and millions of Americans are feeling the ramifications. Seems strange to write a post about vacationing and time off when we are wrapping up from a pandemic (or continuing with another – sheesh). I mean, some people got far more time off than they wanted due to it while others have no job thanks to COVID-19. It reminds me of the work-life balance post I wrote a while back. Sometimes things are off kilter one way or another because they have to be – that’s par for the course with the trades. Eventually, though, a balance has to be achieved. For many of us, the time off via vacations can help to bring that balance.

***Related: Work-Life Balance and the Skilled Trades***

It’s worth noting here, though, that COVID-19 seems to be one of these times – where we work (or try to) as much as we can, and regrettably, for others, it’s a period of abundant time off. What’s lamentable is that time off is often filled with anxiety and concern, negating the time away from work.

Although the reality for millions of Americans is the above, there is still a need for a post such as this. The reason? Many of us are prone to be workaholics, pandemic or not. The truth is, that we need to revisit concepts like work-life balance and vacations and time off periodically, reminding ourselves of their importance. And this needs to be done as soon as possible; otherwise, we turn around and years have passed us by, our children are grown, and we have missed out on some amazing time we can never get back.

This is especially true with the shortage of skilled labor looming – you WILL be asked to work more to help make up the difference. Companies WILL lean on those with experience more and risk massive burnout. All these and more are reasons enough for you to think about your time off.

With the above out of the way, I want to delve into the topics of vacation and time off and see what we can glean.

 Vacations and what they look like

Time off from work to paint the basement walls? Yes, indeed

Up first are vacations. After 20 years in the field, I know plenty of guys who do not take a vacation at all. The reasons are many: lack of money, lack of interest, workaholics, too much work to do, etc. If you can think of it, it’s an excuse. 

I’ll admit there are times when we need to forge ahead, focus on other goals, and forgo a vacation. For example, if you are in debt, you should consider forgoing a vacation and focus on paying the debt off as fast as you can. ( I mean nonmortgage debt here) The freedom you’ll experience from getting out under the thumb of creditors is exhilarating – and it will feel better than a vacation to boot!

Outside of a few other possibilities, though, you should take a vacation and enjoy it. For many of us in the trades, we work a lot of hours via overtime, shutdowns, emergencies, etc., and a structured time off is rejuvenating and necessary. 

Staycations

Many people opt to take time off and stay at home

The first on the list is often the cheapest: the staycation. You take time off from work and spend the time off at home. For many people, they seem to relish in this method of time off. Some like the time off from work but don’t want to travel, and the staycation is the ideal solution.

Personally, I don’t like this vacation style because I can get pulled into work much easier. There are abundant distractions all around me. The only thing different is that I’m not going to work. There is a very real tendency to want to work around the house vs simply enjoying some rest and relaxation. 

I’m not judging anyone for selecting this method – scores of people do, and they seem to enjoy working around their home without having to go in – it’s just not what I want to do. Because I can do something more, I plan for just that.

Taking days off throughout the year

Taking time off around holiday weekends lengthens the time you have off overall

I know guys who do this on the regular. A three-day weekend is turned into four with an extra day off. They do this for several holidays throughout the year, desiring to enjoy longer time off dispersed. They have an extra day to do whatever they decide to do during this time. I know some who do it for New Year’s, July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, etc. 

Again, this method isn’t my choice, but I admit I’d select this over a staycation. But hey, if this is what you personally want to do, who am I to rain on it? It may not be what I’d choose, but millions of others do. So long as they are taking days off work, who cares?

Vacations in the summer

Summertime is a popular choice for taking time off because of kids

It seems people like to vacation in the summer and flock to the beach. The beach seems to be a popular destination for many and personal experience validates this assertion: Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the traffic in my area increases exponentially as out-of-towners flood the area. Moreover, this option becomes even more viable, given that millions of kids are out of school for the summer. 

It’s no secret I hate summer, but not necessarily the beach. This year alone (2021), I have spent time at two different beaches and even spent my honeymoon in Hawaii. I wouldn’t make the choice to specifically vacation at the beach in the summer for a few reasons – hot, sweaty, swarms of people clogging up the beach, to name a few – but I can’t speak for the millions who choose this very option. Besides, at least they are taking vacations, which is what I’m advocating for. 

One of our beach trips recently

Vacationing with family

A recent vacation picture from the Badlands

Another popular option is to vacation with family. Taking time off work to travel is often seen as costly, and the ability to stay with family to reduce your lodging cost is certainly a viable option. In fact, I often do this very thing. Not only do you have a different base to operate from, but you also get the benefit of a free place to stay. What’s not to like?

By now, I can hear some people: I can’t spend too much time around my family, they drive me crazy! 

Hey, I understand more than most as to how that works. I have a crazy backstory I won’t get into here, but I completely understand. The thing is, the older I get, the more I understand the importance of my family. Each person and their respective boundaries are different, but I want to emphasize this: The time we have is short and fleeting, and it’s worth trying to figure out how to set boundaries and spend time with family. At the end of your days, I don’t know anyone who wants to be surrounded by their accomplishments or achievements – they want family. 

Take a vacation and spend time around those you love!

Vacationing around holidays

Millions take time off around the holidays

Vacationing around specific holidays is exactly what it sounds like. This is my preferred method of vacationing for numerous reasons. To start with, my wife’s birthday is around Thanksgiving, which gives us a twofer: we get to visit with family and celebrate her. Second, and perhaps most telling, is it allows even MORE time off. If I take a week to vacation but do so around Thanksgiving, I automatically gain extra time to be off and enjoy my family. Third, the additional time gives me more time to reset my mindset about numerous things: work, rest, the part I have to play – what REALLY matters, as it were. 

And there are other advantages to vacationing around holidays like Thanksgiving, too: I love colder weather and the crisp nature of fall. I get to deep fry turkeys, have larger family gatherings, catching up with people I haven’t talked to in a while; the enjoyment is far richer than if I had decided to simply go to the beach with just my family. Again, this is MY preferred method – what’s really important here is that you take a vacation and prioritize your family and time off.

Vacationing when you can (Feast or famine)

There is a time for everything

This is exactly what it sounds like: vacationing when you can. There are times when we are just too busy in our respective grinds, and we can not take off at a specific time of the year. In the trades, we call this feast or famine. The idea is that the workload fluctuates – from so much work there never is enough people to do the work (feast) to a slow down in work with more time off than some of us would like (famine). 

Hey, I get it – I really do. As I said earlier in the post, I have been in that mindset for longer than I care to admit. As I take stock my where I am at in this life, I realize I am currently not in the feast stage where work seems to dominate everything I do – which gives me the ability to focus on other, more important things. If we have learned anything during this whole pandemic it’s that companies are far more flexible than they let on in the past. It’s true those of us in the skilled trades have to be on-site to do our work, but a tight labor market has emerged, creating a shortage that is driving up wages (more on this soon).

 A good friend of mine took a vacation recently when she could: between school semesters. She decided to hike the Grand Canyon with her son and sent me these amazing pics. (An immense thank you for them, by the way!)

A couple of pictures a friend shared with me from a vacation she took inside the Grand Canyon

How many people have expressed interest in going to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, or any of the other amazing National Parks? Thought about a trip to New England to see the fieldstone walls and fall foliage? Perhaps a cruise? Some have likely thought about Hawaii or the Caribbean, lounging on the beach and enjoying the atmosphere. Would others like to visit New York, Boston, Chicago, or Seattle? You could spend your life seeing the many things the United States has to offer and never see it all! But you can’t IF you DON’T take a vacation.

Takeaways

As we have looked at the choices above, they are wide and cover numerous vacation options. I have my personal favorite, and I hope that you do too. What matters is not what you choose; it’s that you DO choose. Far too many of my brothers and sisters plow through insane heat, crazy workloads, personal dilemmas, and endeavors, and never take time to recharge. I get that many of us identify who we are with our occupations, sometimes so much so that we do not know how to slow down, take a break, and hit the reset button. The days are long, but the years are short, and before you know it, you haven’t taken a vacation in years. 

An even greater travesty is that the behavior of not taking a vacation manifests itself to an even larger degree in the retirement years. Should you make it to retirement (let’s face it, some of us do not), many do not know what to do with their now free time and waste away. You NEED time off to recharge now but also to create a habit of hobbies, personal reflection, spending time with others, discovering interests beside working for your golden years as well. History is littered with regret, and this is one area I would love to see people successfully navigate through.

Take a vacation, and don’t look back – except at the pictures, videos, and memories. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.