Time off is good.

This is the first real time off I’ve had since I started this job in last June (‘06). I’ve been to Hawai’i several times, been to all sorts of eastern states.  I’ve taken a day off here and there.  We’ve been camping, reunioning, and beaching, but each time I’ve brought work and stress along.  This time, however, I’ve not been working.  As much, anyway.  A few hours here and there – urgent things tend to come up as soon as I say I’ll be away…  For the most part, though, this has been a restful experience.  Something new for us.  =)

One thing I’ve learned in this past year and a quarter – full-time work plus part-time work plus full-time visiting does not equal vacation.  Each time I’ve come home from one of these trips, I’ve been that much more exhausted instead of renewed – and relieved to get back into the “grind” because it seemed like a chance to breathe!

Hopefully, we’ll feel refreshed at the end of this trip (we have most of one more day here, and then 12 and a half hours of driving to do)…