I’ve been on an extended holiday since the start of December. Just about 2 months of no income. My wife hasn’t been working in that time either. We are not wealthy people (far from it), and neither are we on any government benefits. We just prioritised our family. I know a lot of people would say ‘man, I just couldn’t do that.’ Not to be argumentative, but I think it’s possible for just about anyone, and it’s all about attitude.

Obviously, you need to be able to take the time off. I am both self employed and work for a teaching institution that is closed most of December and all of January. So for me, it was a no brainer. I missed the last week of school and decided not to take any jobs anywhere else.

We went to Denmark for six weeks to visit family. Then we went skiing in Norway for a week before we came home. After we came home we have acclimatised to the hot weather and gone swimming every day. It’s a hard life :0

But seriously. The rent was paid. The bills were paid. We just prioritised. Sure our bank account is looking thin and forlorn, compared to its pre-Christmas chubbiness. Sure I am dying to get my next pay check. Sure I’m looking forward to getting my kids back in some semblance of routine(at the moment they’re running riot). But we did it. I’m fairly proud of that ability. With two kids, it takes will and energy for something like that to happen.

But now I’m struggling with another concept. That of getting back into the saddle. It’s a big price to pay taking two months off. Life keeps going without you. Emails build up like a traffic jam. Jobs are missed, clients forget you. Clients are annoyed you are not home. Clients ring someone else… You forget what it is you did. The camera feels clunky. Photoshop’s menus are full of strange commands. My 5D is lonely. The batteries no doubt need charging. My back up computer won’t start. I’m completely OUT of the swing of things.

This is going to take a few weeks of solid effort. But it’s like riding a bike. You don’t forget it. You just get a bit rusty. Time sorts everything out. I’ve just got to climb back in the saddle and start riding.

While it’s hard, I’m going to think of a few things:

  • Spending time in my beloved Copenhagen
  • Getting lots of snow to play in over Christmas
  • Seeing my wife’s wonderful family
  • Seeing the kids experience Denmark again
  • ‘Nu er det Jul igen’ at Amalievej 3 (OK, private joke, you had to be there)
  • Learning to ski at Hafjell, in Norway.
  • Experiencing -30 degrees celcius
  • Leaving my family’s passports on a bus at Oslo airport with 2 hours before our flight back to Denmark (now there’s a story)
  • Flying home all the way on business class

Maybe we will do it all again in 2 years….