Your advice is needed!
Lovely readers! I’d like your advice please!
At the end of this week things are going to change… My company just approved my request for a two-month sabbatical.
I’m going to use the time for three things. First and foremost, I’m going to use this time to discern the road ahead. Next, I’m going to take this opportunity to tick some things off my bucket list. Finally, I’m going to use the time to have a bit of a rest, a shabbat, if you will…
I’m currently planning how I’m going to structure those two months, and this is where I’d appreciate your input. I will be spending the first week of the sabbatical on retreat at a monastery at an undisclosed location in another part of the United States…
After that, what should I do? Or, put another way, if you had two months off work, how would you spend your time?
Well, dear friend, I am retired and I spend most of my time volunteering and visiting the sick and homebound and the V.A. and Care Homes are the places I bring Communion and I find it very rewarding.
If it were me, I would catch up on my reading – take in a few books I’ve been wanting to read if/when I have the time. I’d also go hiking, or camping – something in the great outdoors. Maybe do some site seeing. Enjoy your sabbatical!
What a wonderful opportunity! I’d probably visit people I haven’t seen in a while, then set aside a chunk of time to really focus on writing, away from the strictures of inch-counts and daily deadlines. As for what you should do, retreating sounds like a good place to begin. If you’re traveling, you could go to D.C. or Philly when the Pope is going to be there. I’m going up to visit Carrie and Kim that week, and we’re hoping to go to the Mass at the Shrine (probably with thousands and thousands of others…). Or, you could write more of that Screwtape-inspired project you started a few years back. Those were really good.
David,
I know you like to write. Well, type. But maybe you need to take some time to really write down what you miss, want, and need. Sometimes those are all the same thing. Sometimes not. Evaluate why you need a 2 month sabbatical.
You know you have no shortage of love and support from around the world, so you just have to decide what works. For me, camping is an escape. But is that what you are looking for?
If I had the ability to take 2 months off from work…I would be spending a LOT of time with family, some frivolous fun (i.e. amusement park), and just decompress.
I wish you luck in the coming months.
Love,
Melissa
The short answer is that the last two months have been total hell and I just need to escape for a while. I’ll explain more in upcoming posts.
There will definitely be some camping involved. Ben and I have already started talking about shenanigans.
I had completely forgotten about the Papal visit…ooooh….
Well, that’s high praise indeed! There will definitely be a whole bunch of writing during this time, one of which will indeed be continuing the Bogwash Epistles. I’ve got the notes for at least eight more episodes sketched out. There’s also another writing project I’ll be talking about in a few days…
Bogwash! I sat here for a full five minutes trying to remember the name and just couldn’t. 🙂 But I’m glad to hear there will be more forthcoming. Still keeping you in prayer, by the way.
I listened to them while I was eating dinner. Are you allowed to chuckle at your own work? :-/
Thanks 🙂
Chuckling at your own work? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s allowed. If it isn’t, then I’ve certainly broken that rule…
Mass daily and if possible at a different parish each time. When I did my sabbatical I chose a particular virtue to discern… I continue that annually, this year is kindness.
Can I borrow $5? 😉