Work or play?

But what is work and what is not work?

Is it work to dig,

to carpenter,

to plant trees, to fell trees,

to ride,

to fish, to hunt,

to feed chickens,

to play the piano,

to take photographs,

to build a house,

to cook, to sew, to trim hats,

to mend motor bicycles?

All of these things are work to somebody,

and all of them are play to somebody. 

There are in fact very few activities

which cannot be classed either as work or play

according as you choose to regard them.

-- George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier

...

My thanks to Gretchen Rubin for bringing this
and so many other cool quotes to my attention.

The best vacation

Ooh, this is good. I recently posted some thoughts about what makes a vacation good. This morning I bumped into this great perspective.

"What we want out of a vacation changes as we age. It changes from vacation to vacation. There was a time when it was all about culture for me. My idea of a real break was to stay in museums until my legs ached and then go stand in line to get tickets for an opera or a play. Later I became a disciple of relaxation and looked for words like beach and massage when making my plans. I found those little paper umbrellas that balanced on the side of rum drinks to be deeply charming then. Now I strive for transcendent invisibility and the chance to accomplish the things I can’t get done at home. But as I pack up my room at the Hotel Bel-Air, I think the best vacation is the one that relieves me of my own life for a while and then makes me long for it again."
- Ann Patchett, "Do Not Disturb," in This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

 

Vacation?

"So where do you go for vacation?"

The implication was "we come here for vacation, but you live here at the park - so where do you go to get away?" It wasn't the first time we have heard that sentiment. Through the years of living at Hidden Hollows Tree Farm and Retreat Center, we talked about that more than once. When you live at such a beautiful get-away location, why would you want to get away?

The question stayed with me and kept poking into my thoughts. Some would say it is a moot point - that we don't need vacation because we are always on vacation - and I suppose it can look that way. But I think it might be a good question in that it provokes other questions.

Questions like "What is the purpose of a vacation?" or "Why do we need vacation?"

People seem to go on vacation for different reasons - which then logically explains why there are so many different types of vacation. Some people would describe their ideal vacation as reading books in a hammock while others would be bored silly with that because they long for activity and excitement and adventure.

So why do some people go camping in remote places while others vacation at Disney World?

Why do you go on vacation? What do you need from a vacation?

In one way, it would seem that rest is the purpose of vacation, although people tend to joke about needing to rest up from vacation. Maybe vacation is about refreshment, rejuvenation, restoration. You know what they say: A change is as good as a rest...

Perhaps it is a change of pace. If your work is sedentary, you might need your vacations to be active and physical. If you do manual labor in your job, a quiet, relaxing vacation might be more appealing.

Perhaps a change of scenery is what matters most. Moving your person from the city to a quiet country setting can be a balm for a tired soul while someone who has begun to feel isolated or bored with rural life may look for excitement in places with lots of things to do.

The need for a change of scenery probably explains why so many associate travel with vacation. For some, it wouldn't feel like vacation if they couldn't travel somewhere.

Then there is the change of climate that draws many people. Young families fly from Indiana to the Gulf Coast to celebrate spring break at the beach. People go on cruises.

For some people vacation may be about a change of the level of social interaction. Those who daily interact with people may seek privacy and peace and quiet, while a computer programmer who works from their home office may seek out people and the fun of social activities.

Different needs. Different hopes and expectations. It makes sense that different personalities who live and work in very different environments would need different settings to refresh and restore them. What one person would describe as "the best vacation ever" would be stressful and tiring for another. Conversely, what is relaxing and laidback and restful to one would be boring and dull to others.

So how does one go about planning the best vacations? Possibly by evaluating what it is that you need.

In our case, yes, we live in a park. A place where other people come to camp for the weekend. And yes, we even live in a camper and are surrounded by mountains. But we also have responsibilities, work schedules, time cards. We do work hard - well, at least my man does. So a change of pace for him/us would be to be free of those schedules. A change of scenery can include the very same camper walls but in a very different setting - like parked along the beach where we can fall asleep to the sound of the surf.

...

So how do you describe "the best vacation ever"? What do you need from a vacation?

Have you ever returned from vacation more exhausted than before? Maybe you look forward to getting back in a routine where you can settle back in the familiar. Maybe you come back physically worn out, but mentally refreshed.

How does one plan the perfect vacation? It seems that it must start with thinking about what is needed. What part of you needs rest and what part needs stimulation?

Of course, that is complicated when vacation includes more than one person. Then you have to find ways to balance the needs of diverse personalities. And that is a whole other topic!