Based upon observation, the world can be sorted into three types of vacations.
1. The linen-wearer’s holiday: This is the province of the driven. Holiday experiences are to be gathered with efficiency and enthusiasm and sufficient quantity before you efficiently, enthusiastically and gratefully string them upon a silken thread. If this results in a necklace too taut to wear without breaking, oh well. In what manner does this differ from your real life?
This is the type of vacation I tried to have with the ToolMaster for the first few years of my marriage. Fortunately for my health, his type B personality proved dominant and we soon settled on the second type of holiday.
2. The polyester holiday: In this kind of vacation you are not out to impress anybody — especially yourself — with the threat of productivity. Want to sleep in and miss the ferry? No problem. Hooked on a book? Eh. Take it to the beach. Devour it under the umbrella along with calorically-neutral Mai Tais. This break is an antidote to your normal life.
One teensy little problem with this model: What happens when it’s over? Even I know linen and polyester don’t mix.
3. I discovered the third kind of vacation in Salem Massachusetts during the Writer Unboxed UnConference. We will call this the nudist holiday. You’ve packed your scribblers and your workshop schedule and— No. You know what? To do this story justice, it’s going to require context. Come join me on Writer Unboxed with Lessons from the UnCon: I Surrender. I’m Finally Ready to Be Naked.
And if you’re all about the photos, here’s the link to my album on Facebook. Want a preview? Here’s me and Good Sir V (Vaughn Roycroft), who has been an online friend, warm-hearted WU colleague, and Tartitude commenter for years.
Photo credit: Denise Willson
I love that picture. 🙂 And the WU post! Salem was definitely a new kind of vacation for me. ’16 seems too far away. Hope there’s a chance to see you before then, on any sort of vacation, conference, what-have-you. Thanks for the shout-out, Jan! <3
Yes, two years is a loooooong time to wait. A more proximal meeting COULD happen, right?
Prior to going, I hadn’t considered Salem to be any kind of holiday. Frankly, I thought I’d return exhausted. Instead, I felt/feel filled-to-the-brim. Lovely sensation.
Jan, loved your WU post on the UnCon. Your head must have been spinning by the end of those 5 days. And I’m all about the polyester vacation. Couldn’t imagine one any other way.
I won’t lie, Vicki. The last day when Donald Maass was doing his full workshop was…challenging. By the end of the day I was madly transcribing but not absorbing any content. Fortunately, I have ace notes and the energy to work through them. It was just that fulfilling to be in a community.
You probably know what I mean, since you’re in the position to recharge in person on a monthly basis. For me, the last time I was in the physical presence of writers was with you guys in the spring.
I love that picture (and the WU post earlier)! 2016 can’t come soon enough.
Agreed, Kim! Begin the 24-month countdown. 😉
Ack! I’m so far behind getting caught up. 🙂 Loved your article on WU, but never had enough time to comment…read it in email. Loads to do since conference (even before), but the UnCon added dimension to it. Actually, I can’t wait.
24 months are going to fly by. See you soon. 😉
Please don’t feel obliged to “catch up” on my stuff, Mike. There’s nothing worse than knowing exactly where you want to go with your writing and not being able to give it time.
I prefer cotton. 🙂
Another superior option. 😉