Furlough Finale

Today marks my last day of furlough, which is officially over at midnight tonight. As a condition of said furlough, I have been prevented from doing any kind of work whatsoever during the past week. That means no emails, no phone calls, no texts – nothing.

In looking at this period, I have a number of reflections:

• Getting to the point of being out of the office for a week without any contact of any kind about killed me last week. I was already very close to a burn out point, and the incremental work and pressure pushed me to my mental and physical limit. I was in a very, very bad place.
  
• I was finally able to completely “let go” about Monday. Since then, my time here has been absolute bliss.
  
• With 11 straight days out of work, you’d think I might get bored, and you’d be dead wrong. Among other things, I fished a ton, had meaningful conversations with my friends and wife, read two books and countless magazines, saw six movies, rode my bike, worked on websites for my Delta chapter and for the resort, played both virtual and live poker (and won at both), took multiple naps, and cooked and enjoyed a number of fabulous meals. If this is what retirement looks like, I cannot wait.
  

I know in all of this I have some lessons that I need to apply to my non-furlough life. I’m still unclear as to what exactly those lessons are, and will be thinking on it the next couple of days. I clearly need to find some balance between work and living, and that’s where I’ll focus first.

Also, all that good food and drink I’ve been having has added a couple of pounds. I’ll be working on shaving those off too.

If the ultimate goal of any vacation is to relax and rejuvenate you, this has been my best vacation ever. Hands down. With that hindsight, the fact that it cost me a week’s worth of my pay seems like a bargain.

Now, off to the lake in pursuit of last day walleyes!