Fighting burn out with mini vacations

Living in the USA vacation time from work is a premium. Most people get 2 weeks off. I am one of the lucky who gets 3. I also negotiate with my boss a little, toss in Thanksgiving holiday, and I can make that a month. I try to do this each year.

That said it leaves me with a long slog from November to November where I get very little or no time off. I have looked at my pattern of travel and realized that I jam in a couple 2-3 trips when possible. I realize that this is because I have to save my sanity somehow!

I realize now that these trips I take are to maintain sanity and keep me from getting too bored and spending on other things such as more gadgets or a new computer. If I am going to spend the money anyway I want to be sure it is spent on experiences and not stuff. I am at a constant war with stuff!

Examples of my mini vacations over the past couple of years:

• Weekend in New York City
• Memorial Day Weekend in New Orleans
• 2-day Bahamas cruise
• Weekend in Vegas for a friend's birthday

The list goes on for a bit. The point is that I take trips so I can keep going and save the majority of my time off for November. So far I have focused on Asia and don't see that changing for a while. I really love that area of the world with it's diverse people, food, and awesome sites to see. As a result of these long trips November has become my favorite time of the year! (for obvious reasons!)

My advice to those who want to travel is to plan one "big trip" each year that you save for and plan for well ahead of time. As great deals or opportunities for short trips arise do them too! I found that mixing these two is a great balance to work life (at least for me). It makes the year between trips seem a little shorter and less bleak and mundane.