Vacations

[salsa]

So the turn on the thread about lonely pastors has me churning something over in my mind.

I keep up with folks on facebook and I am amazed at how much time they take for vacation! It seems every few weeks, they're taking a few days or a week, going on cruises, visiting family, going to the beach ...

Bottom line is that I'd love to be able to do that but don't see how, for a number of reasons. Mr. Salsa is in retail and they are NOT generous with time (he worked 13 days straight the last 2 weeks). Besides, he has a new job and took his one week off already, when we all went to visit his family. Some clergywomen colleagues I meet with once a month for lunch were surprised at how little time we have for vacation and I have to admit that for YEARS I've wanted a vacation! The yearly week-long trips to visit Mr. S's family are just not relaxing enough for me.

I am supposed to have 5 weeks a year. If this were accured, I'd have accrued something like 4 months' worth over the years. Still, what fun is a solo vacation? I don't see the point in taking myself to Florida to lie on the beach by myself, eat by myself, and fudge around by myself.

Those of you whose spouses' employment and kid schedules are like mine - what do you do for vacation?

[revlurch]

I'm in a similar situation to Salsa. I get four weeks a year but my wife only gets two. Our week at family camp doesn't count against me because of my working as chaplain but she does not get that same consideration even though she often leads the adult bible study so essentially she ends up with one week. We spend a couple days at a marriage conference without the kids but can still preach on Sunday and I count that as continuing education so doesn't eat up vacation and we work it into Mrs. Lurch's regular days off. This year I took two weeks in July, spent the first week at home but worked EMS so I was too busy for church work and then spent the second week camping with the kids near my parents while Mrs. Lurch took her youth group to New Orleans. I then took off for a week by myself for continuing education.

Next year I'm considering taking the whole month of July--Two weeks vacation, one week of family camp, and one week continuing education. That will still leave me two weeks vacation for fire/ems continuing education during the year.

It's a pain, but the reality I guess when one salary can't support a family of five.

[chuck]

Awww... shucks y'all... you ought to try the "baptist" minister's way of vacationing!!! Your churches will love you for it and let you take all the vacation time you can stand!!!

For most of us, our churches consider taking youth to camps, events, retreats, mission trips... you know... that's all vacation time! Then... there's all the children's stuff you can do as well... They'll even let you pay your own way!!!

If you really work it that could come to about... 15 weeks of glorious vacation every year!!!

(OH, and Salsa... you don't ever have to worry about being alone this way!)

[pstrmry]

late to the conversation -- but I alway take every bit of my vacation, even tho my husband gets one week less than I. I love a vacation home alone, puttering around, doing "nesting" type stuff I don't always have time for, visiting friends, working on hobbies. It is so restful! I'd encourage you taking your weeks anyway. Who needs to travel for every vacation??

[SanBPam]

Coming even later to the conversation, (hi all) My husband has always had more vacation than I do. He's a high school guidance counselor so he has 3 weeks at Christmas, a week at thanksgiving, one at spring break, and 5 weeks in the summer. Obviously, I don't. But I try very hard to take every possible day I can. We sometimes camp close to home so that I can show up for meetings and worship and I'm available for emergency calls. That's not quite vacation, but it's a good compromise since he always wants to get away more than I can do.

Pam

[salsa]

I left with the girls after worship on Sunday, Orlando-bound, and toured Kennedy Space Center with them Monday, came back to a REALLY nice hotel room (Priceline dot com, baby - about what we'd have paid at Day's Inn-caliber motel during a busy season) and rented a movie that Monkey and I watched in bed while Boo slept. Tuesday, we tooled around Cocoa Beach and then went to Hard Rock Cafe and walked around City Walk. came home and rented another movie to watch before falling asleep. Wednesday, took the long way home (via Daytona Beach, where we ate at Bubba Gump) and came home.

I don't remember when I felt this relaxed. We had a staycation two years ago, but two people died during it! Other than that, it's been all family, and even though I like my in-laws, one week a year in a cabin with anywhere between 12 - 20 people at any given time (sometimes not even related to Mr. O's family, but various of their church friends, neighbors, or old high school friends) isn't as relaxing as luxury hotel and Kennedy Space Center.

And.... my mom sent me a nice check for Christmas so when I started worrying about money, I could talk myself out of it right quick.

I've been saying for years that I needed a vacation (a go-away vacation) but either time or money always seems to be an obstacle. The only thing dampening it was that Mr. Salsa couldn't come (he's in retail and had to work), but since he's such a nervous nellie about money, that might have been a good thing!

My secretary and I worked today getting the newsletter together and when she started talking about one of our thorns in the side, it didn't make me feel negative and only slightly burdened. Like, "gee, s/he's so annoying, but so what?"

[Deke in TX]

So glad that you and your girls had a good time. Do it often.

[Susan in Ca.]

Salsa,

I am so glad that you had the time away and with your girls. Especially since you are so relaxed! That is great!! I need every bit of vacation that I get. And I do try to get away from home. We do have a cabin which helps a lot, since we don't have to pay extra, and it is so peaceful. I notice a difference in my stress level if I don't go up there about once a month.

I had a wonderful gift given to me a month or so ago. I helped to put together a Celebration of life for a dear man in our congregation. He had worked with the youth for years and really invested his life in powerful ways to many kids. He didn't want a memorial service, but there were so many kids that wanted to do something to celebrate him. So I went to his son and suggested we do something informal, and have people be able to share stories, etc. It turned out beautifully. His son called me as we were leaving for Thanksgiving and told me he wanted to do something for me to say thank you. He is giving me free passes to fly on jet Blue, as a "family member." WHOA! (He is a pilot for them.) So I now have a way to go on a vacation away without worrying about cost either. I am taking him up on it. It was one of those manna from heaven lsituations, for which I am grateful.

Susan