I've heard the term "working vacation" tossed around before, and it always seemed like a pretty contradictory concept to me. I always think of vacation as an absence of work in one form or another. So whether you're vacationing from washing dishes (work) or from your daily exercise sessions (work) or from going into the office and composing dozens of emails to which you will never receive a response (work), vacation is a brief (or lengthy) hiatus from these typical routines that seem so often to dominate our lives.
So how did this idea of a working vacation come into being? I suspect that it evolved in the US of A as a way to justify professionals who decide not to be in the office for 80+ hours per week, but don't want to appear to be slackers. If you think about it, the work standards in the US (and this is generalization) are far more rigorous than in most other developed countries. Take Europe, for example. I've had the opportunity to travel throughout much of Western Europe, and one of the things that has stood out to me is the fact that Europeans work to live, rather than the other way around, which I think is a problem for so many Americans. For example, some countries (like Italy and Switzerland) close businesses for an hour at lunch to allow for nap time. Mandatory naps... that's got to be one of the greatest inventions since the wheel. Then I think of first year lawyers or doctor who are working an average of 80-90 hours per week with no end in sight. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that they actually have that much work that needs to be accomplished. However, I'm positive that there's also an element of competition and "proving" of oneself to the boss. Oh self-imposed unattainable standards and skewed perceptions of success... whatever would we do without you?
Moving on from my rambles... I have to say that I've become a working vacation connoisseur over this past year. A significant part of my job involves traveling around the country (and world) networking, giving presentations, and fundraising. I also spend a significant amount of time doing online research and sending emails, which can be done from pretty much anywhere. I'm currently based in Philadelphia, but I am originally from southern California and still have a lot of contacts there, as well as family and friends. Since fundraising is not geographically restricted, I have been able to travel a significant amount with my job. In fact, I'm just reaching the conclusion of my 4th California visit of the year.
The initial reason for returning to my homeland most recently (other than the sunshine) is that two high school friends were getting married, and I was asked to be a bridesmaid in both of their wedding. Since I knew that I'd be coming out anyway, I took it upon myself to set up as many meetings/presentations/networking opportunities as possible during my time on the west coast, and succeeded in prolonging my trip to 2 1/2 weeks. I was able to stay with friends and family the entire time, and since I don't have an office out here, my working space took a variety of forms, depending on my location. However, my absolute favorite work space is beside the pool (pictured above). During the first week of this trip, the weather was sunny and hot, so I spent several hours each day sweating by the pool to the sound of the keyboard as I worked on a business plan, marketing materials, and emails. There's nothing like working on business documents and a tan simultaneously.
All that being said, I've changed my perception of a working vacation from a falsely-advertised hiatus from responsibility to a unique opportunity to capitalize on travels and to take advantage of the random opportunities to visit family and friends while also handling business. It can be challenging to maintain a consistent work ethic and schedule when I'm out of the typical work environment, but with a little self-motivation, I've learned how to balance work with pleasure, and now thoroughly enjoy the freedom and excitement that working vacations provide!
