As I work through 2024, I found myself doing a little more vacation planning this year than in previous ones. In 2022 I traveled quite a bit, but my wife went with me often. We went to Europe 5 times that year and added quite a few vacation days around my work trips. My wife thought that was a great year.
Last year, 2023, was different. I traveled more (36 trips), with most of them being short. When I traveled that much, I wanted to end trips quickly and get back home. I learned that was too many, and also too disruptive for life. I got behind on things I needed to do at home, my wife went with me less because many trips were all work, and I lacked energy from the pace of moving all over the world.
As a result, my boss and I are more closely watching my travel schedule, and I’m consciously working to ensure I take some breaks between trips. Part of that is doing some planning. So far this has me reducing the number of trips (10 in H1), but also including 3 good-sized vacations away from work during that time.
Note: don’t feel too sorry for my travel load. I’ll get a holiday each in the US, Europe, and Australia.
I know a lot of people like to schedule their vacations at similar times each year. The end-of-year holidays are often a time when many people travel, but I know some people who take time every June, others every August, often corresponding with school breaks for children, family reunions, or some other event.
When do you like to take your vacation? Are you a many-long-weekends-through-the-year person? Do you go on one long trip a year? Love holidays to get away or stay home and work because work is quiet?
I don’t know if it matters, but I’m always interested in what others do and why. I prefer more, shorter vacations, but convince me why your long trip is better. Tell me the amazing things/places you’ve done/seen. Maybe I’ll get some ideas for a future trip.
Steve Jones
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Voice of the DBA 
Shorter for sure. Then you get more. Me not liking to fly has never helped, because driving takes time, but after you get used to it, drive time is part of the vacation.
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36 trips/events in a single year? That’s 3 per month on avg or 1 every 1.X weeks. That is too much especially at our age. When I was in my 20’s to even early 30’s I’d do that many and be fine but once you have a family that being absent and traveling looses it’s appeal b/c you have a reason to be home and not out and about.
The upside is now with Kids off to college you can do a trip with just the wife, something I bet you haven’t done in a while. Mine doesn’t know it yet but I’m planning to take her and only her (kids stay at college) to the Maltese islands, the tropical vacation spot where you have 2-3 feet of water and your in a private hut on the water.
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What’s slightly crazy is that I didn’t travel in a few months. I had a couple a week a few times as well. It was definitely too many trips. I think 25 might be my limit in a year.
My wife goes with me regularly, though with that many trips she didn’t go too often. She’s been on one this year so far, with 2-3 more planned.
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