Middle of vacation
We came back from Istra just three days ago and now we are all set to start working on refreshing our apartment. We had new windows installed and now we’re going to paint the walls, move the furniture, clean etc. So, we’re quite busy ;)
But it is not the apartment I wanted to write about. I have been occupied with a thought about vacation (holidays, or free days, whatever you like to call it) for quite some months now. In my opinion our system of taking time off is totally wrong and should be reformed. All my life, until I got my first job I was institutionalized in a certain rhytm, or maybe I should say, a certain flow of time.
It would go something like this: a year begins with September (when schoolyear in Slovenia starts), than you work for a couple of months and get to have your first holiday (usually one week around Christmas and New Year). After that you work some more till the winter vacation (2 weeks in February). Than starts a new, longer working episode which lasts until May when you have anothe week off (usually warming up for the big finale i.e. end of school year in June). At the end of June when the school is over there is whole summer stretching in front of you free to enjoy, have fun, do the things which you want to do.
I have been living in this (glorious) rhytm for about 20 years.
Than I finally got a job and I have to count my free days very carefully because you see I only have 21 of those. And man – I have to plan, and think well in advance, so as to know when will I be so tired that I just can’t go on and will drop dead of working if I don’t take a couple of those precious free days.
So now, I am here, thinking, “Enjoy, enjoy, be happy, this will last only 5 more days, than it’s all back, the old routine, no holidays in the near sight and you only have 10 free days left till the end of the year”.
I know this is not a very productive attitude and I should probably change it, but how do I do that? Hmmmmm. I’ll do some more thinking, I guess ;)
Here’s a photo taken last week in Rovinj, definitely the loveliest city on the Croatian coast in my opinion.
Rocks, painted as houses, lovely reminiscence of Istrian homes
Cashmere Cafe 
That’s a very good point you’ve made – when we have only 21 days a year for a holiday, we mainly worry how to use them properly and it spoils all the fun! There should be some courses on how to enjoy vacation and not think about going back to work soon! *^v^*
The rock houses are cute! ^^
we stayed now month and a half in Estonia and while reading your post I started to miss Istria a lot. I love it there.
My wife will be getting 3 months holiday (long service leave after 10 years) next year and we’ll hopefully be going through that area during our vacation together.
I’m really looking forward to it.