Holidays. For “adults” this usually means a couple of weeks off with everyone else at Christmas time and a little break here and there throughout the year.
The thing is, we all have to work. We have to work because we have bills and those buggers don’t stop!
Living in a small coastal town such as Omaha, it makes you very aware of the holiday season. It starts building throughout December with it’s absolute peak over New Years and it’s supporting circus all through January. Anniversary weekend is usually the send off then Waitangi weekend (if the dates make for a long weekend) then boom! Everyone’s gone. Omaha seems pretty dead this week!
If I had to pick and choose my holidays I would definitely pick right now. The weather is nice, the crowds are gone and the water warm. Yes please!
If you’re lucky enough to love your work as much as I do then all of this really becomes irrelevant. No set hours, no real rules, no dedicated holiday periods. Sounds easy huh? Wrong.
The big difference is I don’t really knock off. There’s no 5 o’clock knock when you can go home and not care. Over the last few years I’ve had to work out how to stop and start work as it suits. For instance say the surf comes up. Hell yeah I’m out there but it means I might be back at work until 11pm. Tides look good for a skim? Well it’s “R&D” time. Off filming all weekend? Well it’s the hours usually at night piecing it all together.
Long term I essentially want to feel like I’m always on a working holiday. I think that’s probably a lot of peoples idea especially when it comes to the creative field. I certainly don’t want to be stuffed in a job where I get to look forward to my next decent break at Christmas next year.
Waitangi day had the working holiday feel. A great dive in the morning followed by finishing up a big print job.
I’m eyeing up a few days away very soon. I don’t know the details yet but a few days “off” is welcome. Have fun at work.
See you at the beach!
-Sam