Luxuriating In A New Form A Vacationing

Since we are all back at home and school only starts tomorrow, we have had a truly luxurious weekend of Doing Nothing. And when I say nothing, I really mean nothing. The only thing I did that was a little productive was to go off with a friend for a lovely walk along the lake area north of here.

Think this has been the first two-week vacation ever in my adult life, where I did not rush, from the first minute to the last, travelling & visiting; only to arrive at the office the first morning after the vacation jetlagged and suffering from some sort of culture shock. You are talking about someone who managed, for over twenty years, to stretch the already generous yearly six-week vacation allotment into over nine to ten weeks of travel: six weeks vacation, ten days of bank or religious holidays, and ten days over-time re-compensation. Sometimes I felt as though I was vacationing (travelling) more intensely than I was working. (Not really, but it sounded good).

So this, let’s-see-what-comes attitude of these last two weeks is nothing less than radical. And, to be perfectly honest, like most radical ideas that stem from sane contemplation rather than wilful escapism, I can only wonder why I didn’t do this before! To take a vacation from your daily routine without making alternative plans or travelling far distances, is an absolute joy.

Yes, I went with Sara to Erlangen to visit friends. But, we are talking about those types of friends who are Family, if not of blood than definitely of heart. So, it was like going around the corner to your cousin’s place for a cup of tea and a good chat. No fuss, maximum fun, and no preparation.

This new form of vacation is not to be confused with staying home because you don’t have any money (actually we don’t have any at the moment), or in order to finish up with home renovations or other equally busy chores (our list in long but is endlessly ignored), but just to sit in a shaded area in your favourite café with a good book and a hot pot of tea, or spontaneously go off on a bicycle trip in the countryside, or on a day trip if the mood strikes. The whole magic is to feel a sense of timelessness; giving in to a vague yearning to do something even though you are shackled in a pleasant inertia.