When I was growing up, summer vacation was a very big deal. Families looked forward to school letting out for summer break and planned trips that would take them out of town for a full week or two. Part of the reason is that it would get so hot and humid that we all needed to escape the heat. But part of it was also that family time together seemed more important back in the day than it seems now.
My employer gives us a week’s paid vacation after we have worked for a full year. I wish they were a little more generous about giving us paid time off, but they don’t. However, they do expect us to use the vacation time and they do not make us feel guilty or threatened for actually being gone for a week. I know some places really discourage taking time off. some places say that if you can be gone from your post for a full week that maybe they don’t really need you there at all.
This year I plan on going to the beach and getting as far away from home as I can drive on one tank of gas. I would really like to go to Chincoteague Island and be in an area that is more concerned about wildlife and natural habitat than they care about boardwalks and mini golf. I want a nice escape from noise and crowds, and last time I went to Chincoteague it took me about 6 hours to get there. Anything farther away than 6 hours is probably smarter to fly than to try and drive.