I was saying to my sister I might have to cut back on reading the expat blogs during the summer holiday season. LOL
It just makes me realize how bizarre our working 24/7 culture is. I know it's annoying not to have things done quickly or to deal with repairmen who go away for a month (something that happened to my parents) but this no vacation lifestyle is bullshit.
If you do go away it's assumed you will be reachable on your BlackBerry and cellphone. That is not a real vacatioin. You do not return to work re-charged, just overwhelmed by all the work that has piled up on your desk.
Sometimes I feel guilty because I no longer wish to be a workaholic. I'm still ambitious of course but I feel like my life is passing me by. I don't want to wake up at 50 and wondered what the hell happened.
10 comments:
:) This post made me smile because I recognized myself between your lines! Well, this was the sort of conversation I would have with myself 5 years ago! it somehow never went away, but grew...
San Francisco life, studies at the University of California, and med school is great, but I don't want to let my life pass me by and wonder what happened!
I think we CAN have the best of both worlds! Like I recently said, deciding what to do is 90% of the work...
AMEN!
I am on "vacation" but stupidly I am still working since clients don't understand that advertising agencies have to close for the summer, too! At least it's only taking me about 30 mins a day...but still! :)
I hope you are still moving up your Rome ETA.... :) Let's work on it!
Turn off the BlackBerry, leave the cellphone at home and go to the beach. Enjoy the beauty of Southern California. (Especially Orange County where I lived)
It's not all fog and smog.
Brace yourself... it's the awakening! You are completely right. There is so much more too life.
l use the projection method. lm sitting in a rocking chair at 90y.old. What do l remember, the corner office with views or sipping wine, eating fresh fish on the beach, laughing with my italian friends while O sole mio is being played in the background?
NYC, give yourself Rome, when your ready and have decided:-)
This is tough one. We throw around this "work/life balance" jargon at work, it's nice to aim for but unrealistic. There are plenty of people that would step up if I chose more life stuff. I don't know of a single coworker who does not log on after hours and works on the weekends. We're sick.
I love that you noted that you're still ambitious; I've gotten into a discussion or two on forums who seem to think there's no ambition in Italy (and, as I understood it, in those of us who choose to live here).
There was a strong overtone that wanting to WORK and ACHIEVE (now!) equals ambitious, and the rest of us are just, I don't know, lazy slugs? Not sure, but I certainly don't buy into that.
*I* know I'm ambitious, but I know what I'm most ambitious about isn't anything material; just because you don't want your life to BE your work doesn't mean you don't enjoy what you do and want to succeed.
Still trying to work out why those who enjoy their work, work, work lifestyle feel so threatened by those of us who choose not to go that route though; reminds me of some naysayers over at Farfallina's place.
Anyhoo, can't wait till you're in Roma :)
roam 2 rome - You are right. The biggest hurdle for some is making the decision.
chris & erin - I know you feel me. :)
sara - yes, I am. I'll post about that some other time.
j. doe - I did turn off the phones yesterday so it was nice and quiet. I am leaving in two weeks so I will have to hit the beach when I get back.
confessions - exactly, when I'm older I don't want this decade to be a big blur.
rose - Good point. There is always going to be someone who will brag about working 24/7 and will see anyone who seeks balance as weak or lazy. Sad. How working parents do it i today's climate is beyond me.
sognatrice - I think the naysayers want to feel validated in their choices. I don't get the work, work, work thing anymore. People are spending it as soon as they earn it so it's not like they are working so hard to provide for retirement.
Also if you are working 70 hours a week how can you enjoy the fruits of your labor? It wasn't always like this. The last few decades something has def. shifted in American culture.
My Italian friends are ambitious but their jobs do not define them.
NYC- Perfectly said in that last entry. We are more than our jobs we are all to unqiue and special to be squashed into a title. It's a place were we can channel our creative energy.
confessions - amen.
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