The best thing about being a teacher would have to be the summers off. Yes, I know - there is still work to be done [and many teachers, even some that I know, choose to work]...but still...it seems like you would still be able to take advantage of summer holidays. Growing up, summer holidays were a given. It didn't matter how much money we had - we made it happen. Sometimes just spending a couple of weeks @ the cheap cottages in either Port Elgin or Sauble Beach, sometimes road warrior-ing it across the USA [in our Chev-ro-let! sometimes...] for three weeks @ a time. Some summers [when we were younger and more manageable as a tag team, I suppose] me and my cousin Mark would go on holidays with each others families so I would get DOUBLE the holiday. I suppose I'm thinking of that right now as we have entered the much heralded "last week of July/first week of August" timeframe - which is when my godfather's mill would shut down...so off we would go. As a result it tends to be the most expensive time to travel - but this year it doesn't seem like we are going anywhere @ anytime so it doesn't much matter [of course, that's pretty much entirely my fault, so I should be sucking it up right here]. Yes, I do have approximately two months to make it to my "get a job this summer and reward self with a brief holiday" - but I'm not holding my breath.
Instead what I'm doing is looking even further into the future. All the way to my next birthday, which is in October. It will be my champagne birthday, and even though I'm not really into the booze these days, I'm not missing out the opportunity to celebrate. Last year I had tremendous success with getting away for it all for my big 3-0...I got to stay in a posh hotel, surround myself with animals, eat good food and even speak mangled French. It made me forget all about my lackluster job, limited career options, crummy apartment and the fact that I don't really have any friends to celebrate such a momentous occasion. Anyway, I'm hoping for similar results this year [plus it makes a good gift for me - the gift of the getaway - as I don't really like/need traditional gifts].
And, it's just my luck that today VIA Rail announced that they would be offering 60% off all Canadian destinations for the remainder of the year [if you book by July 31st, that is]. I love taking the train. It doesn't make me feel sick - they have enough departure times to please me and it really doesn't take too much longer than travelling by air. Don't get me wrong, if I had a choice I would fly everywhere [like, even to the grocery store - my carbon footprint would be so atrocious]. But, with flying, you must also accept waiting in the airport for hours, lots of lines and travel to the suburbs. So, even when you get to your destination, you still have to take a taxi or public transit to get downtown - tack on another hour. Train travel also lets you see a lot of the countryside - and while I've travelled on trains in many countries, I've never taken photographs, despite the presence of windmills in Holland and mountains in Tuscany. But while I find aeroplanes to be incredibly hip [yes, still - even after my nightmare experience over xmas] I find trains to be the most romantic way to travel.
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I love this post---I am taking some time off in September and am going to "Play Tourist in my own state"--with one income finances are a little tight but I am looking forward to just being able to relax. My last few vacations were spent working at the election, finding a new apartment and moving!
ReplyDeleteOhhh, I LOVE train travel (even though I've only been on one trip, across the state to Kansas City). I hope you have enough pennies left that you can book yourself a short trip.
ReplyDeleteSounds like such fun. :) And having the summers off is definitely a perk that I'm looking forward to.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, when you're a kid (or a teacher who isn't working/taking classes in the summer), the summer is a long expanse of nothing much to do.
ReplyDeleteIt's long enough that you don't just get refreshed - you get bored. (I mean that in a good way, it's nice to have.)
When I was laid off a couple of years ago, I had the summer off. I enjoyed it, but there was always this nagging feeling that I needed to get a job, so it wasn't the same thing.
These days, my vacation time is limited, and I almost always go somewhere, so I don't get the same "don't have to do anything for months" kind of feeling.
I agree with you about taking the train - I fly a lot, but for short distances (i.e. less than 5 hours by car), the train is nice & just as fast as flying once you calculate in how long you have to be there in advance.
Joseph and I had a "staycation" last August when his parents and little brother came over. It was...a little lacking, though we barely left the city so that is why. Joseph has one more extra long weekend left in August and we might get a hotel in Toronto just so we can go swimming and sleep in peace.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely have the pennies to go on a birthday fling...as they won't be my pennies. Joseph and I don't buy each other gifts, so this would be it.
And yeah, being unemployed in the summer su-ucks. No money to do all the fun summery things...and no excuses for staying indoors due to weather.