Author Topic: Time Off to Travel  (Read 3117 times)

Offline DTM

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Time Off to Travel
« on: February 13, 2018, 05:42:50 PM »
I notice many frequent DDF posters seem to travel quite frequently and extensively. If you are not retired and you are working for a living, how do you get all that time off?  Perhaps you are self-employed and/or traveling is part of your work? Just curious... please post

Offline mercaz1

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2018, 05:54:01 PM »
I've always been curious about this as well

also do the frequent travelers have a wife and kids and do they travel wth you?

Offline Z56

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2018, 05:56:07 PM »
I notice many frequent DDF posters seem to travel quite frequently and extensively. If you are not retired and you are working for a living, how do you get all that time off?  Perhaps you are self-employed and/or traveling is part of your work? Just curious... please post

Perhaps setup a poll
“I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work

Offline zow

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2018, 09:59:00 PM »
I saw that @DTM asked me this question somewhere else but now I can’t find it (paging @TimT). This thread is probably the best place for an answer.

For me, I have discovered travel only in the last 3-4 years, coinciding with discovering DDMS then DDF.  Also coincides with my wife and I approaching (now traversing) our 50th birthdays and realizing that we wanted to have special time and experiences with our children while we and they are still able and available.

My wife and I both get about five weeks of vacation a year. I’m a physician but spend most of my time in research and administration, so I am fortunate that I can be pretty flexible with my time.  We are able to take comp time for chagim and don’t need to use vacation days for it.

All that said, I have taken a lot of time off in the last few months, and I am feeling it at work — behind in many projects.   I keep reminding myself that no person on his deathbed ever said, “I wish I had spent more time at work.”  Still, there does need to be moderation and balance. 


Offline saw50st8

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2018, 08:08:13 AM »
I'm not as frequent a traveler as many on here, but I did manage 4 vacations last year. I only get 17 days off a year, many of which go for chagim, but I have the ability to earn comp time which I do as often as I can.  If need be, I take some time off unpaid. I'm an engineer at a company that is open 24/7/365 so I can easily work outside of normal shift hours.

My husband is much more restricted so during winter break I often travel with my mother and kids. Summer break we go as a family.

I also make the most of my work trips. Last year I only had one day of travel, but it was to Buffalo and when my factory acceptance test was over, I went up to Niagara Falls. Nothing made me feel more spoiled than flying up to Niagara Falls for the day!

Offline DTM

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2018, 08:45:25 AM »
I did post and promptly delete this question elsewhere as I thought it more appropriate as a new thread. Apparently, traveling can be an addictive pleasure, especially when enhanced with a DansDeal! Moderation may be necessary for those who wish to remain gainfully employed, but we  can also bear the time in between trips by enjoying the vicarious experience reading DDF Q and A’s and trip reports!

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2018, 09:10:22 AM »
I feel like this discussion has taken place somewhere here in the past. I think a lot of people here don't go away as much as you think, while others who do either work for themselves or have flexible arrangements where they can work part-time while on vacation, which is worth it if you go away for 2 weeks and just had to work 2 days while away to make it happen. Others are in school/have a spouse in school so that helps with school breaks. Some people also don't live near their in laws and that means flying for Yomim Tovim, which may make it seem like they are traveling more often. Personally, I have enough off days at work to pull off about 10-14 days of vacation a year and for a few years my firm gave off 2 weeks around Christmas in addition to those days, so that really helped get away more. Those are some ideas why it seems like some people are always taking trips (perhaps I shouldn't say "seems" - some people really do take a lot of trips!)

Offline moko

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2018, 12:02:47 PM »
I travel for work. If my spouse and children can be off as well then we travel together for work. (Most of my travels are borrrring.... Though I was in in Woodstock VT last week setting up a cheese production and I must say, that is God's country out there. Unbelievably beautiful.)

Offline MC

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2018, 12:11:42 PM »
My vacations definitely slowed down once I got married and even more so once I had a kid. There are many jobs that allow you to work remotely while on vacation (like I did in my single days). Now, we both work for frum companies and get Yomim Tovim off without using any vacation time, so that helps with taking additional time off for actual vacations. And we try to schedule them around weekends, so that we miss less work time.

Offline Iz

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2018, 02:33:23 PM »
I travel for work. If my spouse and children can be off as well then we travel together for work. (Most of my travels are borrrring.... Though I was in in Woodstock VT last week setting up a cheese production and I must say, that is God's country out there. Unbelievably beautiful.)
Any recommendations where to stay, what to do there, etc?

Offline moko

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2018, 02:55:54 PM »
Any recommendations where to stay, what to do there, etc?
ski, milk cows and make cheese...
I stayed in Quality Inn Quechee 20 min away...

Offline shaulyaakov

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2018, 01:08:37 PM »
This year is particularly good Chagim-wise, since one only needs to take off 2 days total for Pesach/Shavous Yom Tov.

So the total number of Yom Tov (M-F) this year is only 9 days, whereas some years it is as many as 13! That extra week is allowing me to take my first weeklong trip since I started fulltime in July '16.


Offline Iz

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2018, 01:11:49 PM »
ski, milk cows and make cheese...
I stayed in Quality Inn Quechee 20 min away...
Thanks.

Online yitzgar

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Re: Time Off to Travel
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2018, 02:21:47 PM »
This year is particularly good Chagim-wise, since one only needs to take off 2 days total for Pesach/Shavous Yom Tov.

So the total number of Yom Tov (M-F) this year is only 9 days, whereas some years it is as many as 13! That extra week is allowing me to take my first weeklong trip since I started fulltime in July '16.
True, but I need to start saving already for Rosh hashana/YK/Sukkos, all on weekdays