Recovering from vacation

I disagree. I find that I spend the first 2 or 3 days of a vacation trying to relax, get used to not having to go to work, etc. and the last couple of days worrying about all the crap that I will need to do when I get back. I think 2 weeks would be the optimal vacation, because I would have the 7-9 days in the middle as a real vacation free from the stresses of my life.

This is all theory though, as I've never taken more than a week off at a time.

I agree with Chris here. Coming off a weeklong vacation in early November, I only really enjoyed about 3-4 days of it. The first day was just trying NOT to wake up at 5am, and the last day a half was getting ready to go back.

I havent been able to do it in a long time, but when I've had two weeks available for vacation, I find that to be the optimal time. Plenty of time in between winding down and winding back up again to make the vacation truly enjoyable.

BTW, you checked e-mail on vacation? Unless your job depended on it, why? I purposely disconnect myself from the world on vacations. Depends on the situation, I guess..

Dave -- I checked in on my work e-mail once just to make sure there were no urgent matters that needed my attention. I checked my personal e-mail late in the vacation because a lot of people didn't even know I was going out of town... didn't want them to think I was ignoring them. :)

Most of my "vacations" have been two days stuck on to a weekend. Usually that's plenty to set me right if I'm just staying at home. However, I've never had the time or money to take a real, long vacation, so it could easily be that I'd like those a lot better.

I can't wait for January 6th

Ryan,
what happens on January 6th?

That wasn't me, Matt. T'was an imposter.

The last trip I went on in L.A., my neurotic friend planned something for every day, getting affordable prices, with reservations, etc. Because we were following a schedule, honestly began to feel like work once we got there.

First we woke up in the morning, looked at the schedule, then got ready for our "appoinments/bus tours, amusement park visit/etc." Then of course, we had to find the place. We didn't get lost much. However even missing the turn to the parking lot or getting lost for only 10 minutes is still stressful. (We had map quests directions printed out to each place prior to the trip).

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was time to get the Map Quest directions ready for the next day's adventure, etc.

The most stressful part about the trip was living up to the expectation that we "had to make the most of our vacation" by planning something every day.

I am now planning a vacation with my mother in Los Angeles for either a 5 or 7 days, and I do not want to have the urgency feeling repeated.

Anyone have advice on how I should go about doing this? (We're not hiring a chauffer or taxing. I'm driving.) I was thinking maybe planning something every other day and having a day in between to just veg.

Or do you have any comments on this feeling that to make the most of our vacation we have to be constantly doing something and not just sleeping in the hotel watching TV?

P.S. to Ryan's post. I NEVER check my work e-mail on vacation. My coworkers know they can reach me at the hotel phone or my cell phone if they need me. However, I make it known that I must NOT want to be contacted on vacation unless it's something that only I can handle and that I can very well handle it from vacation, and that is urgent. It is pointless to call me just for a fricken update or something I can't do anything about. Nor should you, Ryan, be reading updates from e-mail while on vacation, even if you check it only once. I've also established that even while not on vacation, I must NOT be contacted on weekends. If I see a boss or co-worker on a weekend we are not allowed to talk about work. Everyone in my present and last job know/knew this.