Screw You and Your Vacation Time

I was talking with my sister on the phone a couple of nights ago. She was wrapping up a big week at work and preparing to start work over the weekend; I, however, was winding down a week on Tybee Island with Eric and his family. She playfully teased me saying that, "you're always traveling somewhere or doing something! The rest of the world can't do that!"

At the moment, I was a bit at a loss for words. Sure, I know my sister's immensely busy, just as some of you are. To be fair, I spent a lot of my vacation week inside writing articles because I felt unable to take a week off of my job. But I did take a vacation, and I did refresh my tan lines, and I did drink mimosas at 2 PM on a Thursday, and I did indulge in reading books in the sunshine and playing in the waves. And I'm here to tell you that you can and should do it too.

We get so wrapped up in our work- whether we're waiting tables or writing novels or running the corporate world- that we feel we can't afford to take personal time off. But that's why you work so hard for your PTO: so you can use it when you most want to, like when it's 90 degrees and sunny in Savannah, Georgia (or wherever you choose to vacay). I know that you feel a responsibility to save up an allotment of those days in case of emergencies, which is fair, but that doesn't mean to you should neglect your mental health! You need time to take care of yourself, or you will become an emergency situation before too long.

As for my sis, I'm not too worried: we have a trip planned with my dad and brother later in July that I know will set us all right as rain. But if you aren't planning to take a vacation this summer, you're doing something wrong! Even if it's just a long weekend someplace sunny, GO! ENJOY YOURSELF!

Remember this: anytime you read one of our posts and think, "psht, self employed people showing off. Screw you and your vacation time," remember that you're just making an excuse. You can live this way, too, and you DESERVE to live this way! Stop making excuses to deny yourself happiness; the only way you're going to relax and slow down is if you make it happen. We're not here to brag about our vacations; we're here to share our outlook on life and hope you join us along the way- it's a lot sunnier on our side.