The World’s Worst Vacationer
As I write this, I sit on the deck overlooking a lake in Central Minnesota. Which begs the question, since I live in Omaha, Nebraska, what am I doing writing this while on vacation? It’s a legitimate inquiry. And the answer lies no further than the simple statement that I am the world’s worst vacationer.
There are two sides to the story. The first is the most obvious. Every health study indicates that taking time away from work is critical. You come back refreshed. More efficient. More effective. Better mental and physical health. I can’t argue with the studies. And I’ll never argue with my wife because she’s never wrong.
But there’s another side to this conversation. As I’ve crossed into the second half of my life, I realize that I love to work. And I love the work that I do. I love the clients, the challenges, and the opportunities to make a difference in partnership with someone else. I get great personal satisfaction in seeing a job well done. And like it or not, if you try to unplug me completely, by about 2 PM I start twitching which makes for a bad evening for everybody else.
There is a balance. That balance includes spending time with my family. For us, that’s watching the kids play in the lake, playing golf, renting a boat, taking walks, playing games at night, and just having fun. But I also spent about two hours a day keeping up with clients and other professional needs. I set up my computer with two travel screens so that I can be efficient. I guess it’s pretty evident because my father-in-law asked in his first text, after my wife told him we were here, “has Randall set up his travel desk?” I’m a dead giveaway.
But I also consider myself incredibly blessed and lucky. I love my wife more today than I ever dreamed possible when we married 20+ years ago. My kids are a parent’s dream come true. And I love what I do professionally. Sometimes I wonder if I’m actually working because I like it that much. I may be the world’s worst vacationer, but I’m the world’s most fortunate professional, son, brother, husband, and father around…..
