This sounds counter-intuitive and self-destructive. Who would spend his holiday working? Well, I do because it is pretty fun and so rewarding. Here’s the thing about my work ethos. Work gives my life purpose, but work has to be purposeful in return. Give and take. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Freedom
On my vacation, I can do whatever I want. I don’t have to answer anyone. So, what do I want? Well, for instance, I like to brush up on my language skills, hang out with like-minded people from all over the world, go on micro-adventures, and savor local food and drinks.
That is all it takes — I’m pretty low maintenance.
Last time I went to Chamonix, France, to brush up on my french skills for about a month while hitting the slopes in my spare time. I met lovely people from Canada, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and Germany, and we had a great time learning from each other’s stories and goals.
I don’t bond easily with strangers, but in a language course, it just feels natural, never awkward— that is such a big relief.
I also spent some time in Spain to learn Spanish and in Sicilly to learn Italian. Fun fact, even though I am writing this blog in English, I never spent an English course abroad — it just never happened.
There is just too little time to brush up on five languages all the time. But I will stick to this sort of vacation because I am not wasting my time lying on a crowded beach and increasing the risk of skin cancer. That is not my definition of a holiday.
So if I work during my vacation anyway, why bother leaving?
Excellent question.
What if I found a way to work on interesting projects which solve real-world problems from wherever I want?
Meaningful work unhinged from time and space that would pay the bills would be like finding my Ikigai. Every day would feel like I was on holiday.
Challenge accepted. Just give me some time to figure things out.