Time off
Just curious. How many times in a year do you take time off and travel (and for how long). And how do you budget? Any thumb rule? I am in my late 20s and not very well traveled. I want to visit other countries and experience cultures. Having a job in Bay Area means money is not as big a constraint as time. How do you make time? P.S I am on visa so cannot take months off just to travel.
1 big trip.. several small ones spanning a long weekend. In between changing jobs so taking about 1.5months to travel!
I do several small trips a year. Between 4 and 6. Thursday/Friday through Monday/Tuesday. Direct flights only. You can see a lot of Western Europe and the Caribbean (5-7 hours away this way). BTW, Reykjavik is LIT. 40. SINK. Midwest.
+1 re: Reykjavik
Since you’re on visa, I’d say try and pick places first where you don’t need to get a visa for. Canada, Mexico, Peru, Caribbean.. go to Alaska and Hawai. Then maybe you can circle back to other countries. You can try south-east Asia, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam.
2 big international trips a year (Europe and Asia) and some domestic travel on the weekend. Adobe has sabbatical, 2 company shutdowns, plus extra 3 - 4 week pto so it’s possible to have 2 international trips a year.
Take a few one-week trips and several long weekends for closer travel. Life is short, see the world! Better now than when you’re old or you’ve got other obligations like kids. I just calculated and I took 6 weeks total this year. Yay for unlimited vacation policy!
Take as much vacation as possible and don’t feel bad about doing it. There is such a stigma against taking time off in the US and it’s ridiculous. The rest of the western world takes way more time off overall than Americans and is happier because of it. As long as you’re completing your work and not affecting your team, you should take off as much time as you possibly can. I took 7+ weeks off scattered throughout the year in 2017. I’m sure some coworkers made snide comments, but it’s no doubt out of envy. I don’t care though and neither should you. Travel now when you can, when you’re not weighed down by family or poor health. You will never wish you worked more on your death bed. Together we can change the stigma of taking time off by normalizing it.
+1 tech is full of self motivated folks who are willing to work without much rest or vacation time. Looking at blind people laughing at Microsoft engineers as slackers concerns me. Your health cannot last long and your early retirement plan will not execute easily. Only after realizing this is a rat race for nothing will people regret for spending more time for non CS work (which at the time looked like world saving effort). Don’t make yourself a robot. To me, microsoft country clubbers are living wonderful life by devoting themselves in family care or leisure activities. Can’t say the same for many others. I go for skiing and talk with random folks and most are Microsoft or Boeing employees. I love that. I wish Amazonians realize life is not about work except a few who get the spotlight like Gates and Bezos.
2 times a year - large trips (Europe, Hawaii) + 3 to 5 trips on long weekends and such (Vegas, palm spring, etc.)
Same here, 2 big international trips plus all holidays (long weekends). Also lots of travel on weekends too, not only long weekends. Travel is my #1 priority. You just have to schedule in advance and go.