The Art of the Mini-Vacation

Ever since July 5th, 2008, I have worked every Saturday and Sunday. That's right, every weekend for nearly 10 months. For many of you, this may seem like an atrocity. Something that you could never imagine doing in your life. For me though, it's just life...and it's really not that bad.

Do I wish I had weekends off? Of course, who wouldn't? But since I don't, I try to make the most of the time I do have off. Most of the time, that means Wednesday and Thursday. But it can vary week to week. And since I don't accure any vacation days until I work a full year (July 1, 2009), I have perfected the art of the "mini-vacation".

That's right, not a full vacation but a "mini-vacation". So far, in 10 months, I've had about a dozen of them. It started with a trip to Charlotte in Augusta to visit a friend I hadn't seen in more than a year. I got there on a Tuesday evening and left on a Thursday morning. He's a teacher so he wasn't working yet so it worked out great.

Then, came my trip to Valdosta, GA. Small city but with the friends I was with, that didn't matter. Just like Charlotte, I stayed overnight 2 days and was back in Augusta well before I had to work.

Since those summer trips, I've taken many a trips to Columbia, SC to visit a good friend and have a great time in the college atmosphere. I've also made three treks to Ohio. Two to Columbus and one to Athens. None were longer than 4 days but trust me, all were worth the time and money spent.

Before the Masters, I went to Charlotte again and crashed NIRSA to hang out with members of the best intramural department in the nation. And less than 2 weeks ago, my parents came and we went to Savannah. We were there for less than 48 hours but it was a great time with for all 4 of us. And actually, it was the first time all 4 of us had gone somewhere other than to visit family since 2003!

What's great about these "mini-vacations" is that it allows me to forget the daily routine that is Augusta. In college, I worked too many jobs and had to random of a nightlife to ever feel like I was in a routine. But that's changed now. Now, I seem to always be on a time schedule or trying to reach a deadline. But when I leave Augusta for a different location, I don't have to worry about any of that.

So here's my criteria for a great "mini-vacation". First, spend more time at the location than in the car. Though I love a good road trip, I love spending time with friends and family more. Second, set a spending limit before I go. This way, I can make sure my "mini-vacation" doesn't make me bankrupt and prevent me from taking a real vacation down the road. Third, do not think about work. When I am in Augusta and taking a day off, I can't help but think about work because it's still around me. But when I am away, I really want to be away. I can always catch up on what I missed later. Finally, enjoy every minute of where I am and the company I am around. It's not very often I get out of Augusta and see my pre-job friends so when I do, I'm not gonna waste my time doing something that's not fun.

So what's my next "mini-vacation"? Who knows? The great thing is that many of the "mini-vacations" I've taken have been spontaneous. Yeah, some were planned for months but others were planned in less than a week. So if you have an idea for me or want to partake in one with me, just let me know. It's not that I hate Augusta. I just love getting away from it all, even if just for 2 days. Hakuna Matata.