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Thinking About Time Off
May. 28th, 2004 12:00 pmI've decided I'd like to take a break from my job. This is something I never really thought I'd be able to do, but I've decided that I think I could do it, so I'm going to start seriously thinking of what I would be doing during that time.
This decision is inspired partly by my friend Dave who decided to take a year of "early retirement." Then he decided he'd like even more time off, but meanwhile is working a short but fun and lucrative contract job. It's also inspired by my friend Lyn who decided to do her postdoc someplace cool and ended up in Switzerland, and then Dave got permission to do his job from there. Also, Dave and Lyn have decided to take off for three months and go to Europe without having to do any job at all. My decision is also inspired by my friend Patricia, who routinely travels to all kinds of interesting places whenever she's between jobs. The travelling is more important than the jobs, or maybe the jobs are important so she can save up to travel.
The security freak in me is letting me do this because of some things I realized about my eight months away from the university working at a state job. I took that job because it sounded fun, paid more, and I wouldn't lose retirement because service from either system can be transferred to the other. After running screaming back to the university, I realized that transferring my state time to the university system wouldn't be necessary. That's because every year that one works six or more months at the university officially counts as a year toward the retirement system. And because I missed four months in one fiscal year and four months in the next, I didn't lose any credit at all. So all the money in my state retirement fund is extra, and I can cash it out and use it as I wish. (Although I didn't lose service for retirement purposes, I did lose it for longevity raise purposes. So every three years I wait an eight extra months before getting an extra $20. Also I'll have to wait an extra eight months to get my fifteen-year certificate and lapel pin.)
So, my plan is to work for six or more months into a fiscal year (September through February), take off for the rest of the year (or maybe just the summer), and then start job hunting at the beginning of the next year, and hope I find a job in six months. Risky, I know.
But I won't do this until I figure out what I am going to do with the time. If I take off without a plan, then it will feel like early retirement where I just have fun all day, and then going back to work will be just a huge drag. And I don't want to have a plan like "write a book," which I may or may not complete. I'm thinking of something that will enhance my career--some kind of teaching or writing thing--or some kind of fun job, or some kind of job in a fun place, or some kind of adventure. So, maybe a writing workshop. Or working as part of an experimental math teaching program over the summer. Or doing some kind of online educational development internship. Or teaching ski lessons in South America. (Not that I really know how to ski very well. Or speak Spanish or Portuguese very well.) Or working on a cruise ship. (Although I have been known to get seasick.) Or working in a national park. Or working on some extremely lucrative short-term job. Or working some entry-level job in a fabulous company with an even better retirement system. I'm still vague on this part of the plan, but as of today, I'm thinking about it.
Journal entry of the day - Pie and Crap by Bad Hair Days (5/10/2004) - This is how a recipe should be (except for no picture). "Cool completely on a wire rack if you don’t want berry juice leaking all over the place. Of course, if you do it this way you won’t get warm strawberry goodness and there will be no reason to buy ice cream. It’s all a question of how close to the edge you like to live your life." Also, I even enjoy reading about her new computer thingy. "The Mini is also not available anywhere in the free world and Amazon has the 15-gig iPod on sale for only $35 more than the stupid Mini! That’s like three bucks per extra gig!"
This decision is inspired partly by my friend Dave who decided to take a year of "early retirement." Then he decided he'd like even more time off, but meanwhile is working a short but fun and lucrative contract job. It's also inspired by my friend Lyn who decided to do her postdoc someplace cool and ended up in Switzerland, and then Dave got permission to do his job from there. Also, Dave and Lyn have decided to take off for three months and go to Europe without having to do any job at all. My decision is also inspired by my friend Patricia, who routinely travels to all kinds of interesting places whenever she's between jobs. The travelling is more important than the jobs, or maybe the jobs are important so she can save up to travel.
The security freak in me is letting me do this because of some things I realized about my eight months away from the university working at a state job. I took that job because it sounded fun, paid more, and I wouldn't lose retirement because service from either system can be transferred to the other. After running screaming back to the university, I realized that transferring my state time to the university system wouldn't be necessary. That's because every year that one works six or more months at the university officially counts as a year toward the retirement system. And because I missed four months in one fiscal year and four months in the next, I didn't lose any credit at all. So all the money in my state retirement fund is extra, and I can cash it out and use it as I wish. (Although I didn't lose service for retirement purposes, I did lose it for longevity raise purposes. So every three years I wait an eight extra months before getting an extra $20. Also I'll have to wait an extra eight months to get my fifteen-year certificate and lapel pin.)
So, my plan is to work for six or more months into a fiscal year (September through February), take off for the rest of the year (or maybe just the summer), and then start job hunting at the beginning of the next year, and hope I find a job in six months. Risky, I know.
But I won't do this until I figure out what I am going to do with the time. If I take off without a plan, then it will feel like early retirement where I just have fun all day, and then going back to work will be just a huge drag. And I don't want to have a plan like "write a book," which I may or may not complete. I'm thinking of something that will enhance my career--some kind of teaching or writing thing--or some kind of fun job, or some kind of job in a fun place, or some kind of adventure. So, maybe a writing workshop. Or working as part of an experimental math teaching program over the summer. Or doing some kind of online educational development internship. Or teaching ski lessons in South America. (Not that I really know how to ski very well. Or speak Spanish or Portuguese very well.) Or working on a cruise ship. (Although I have been known to get seasick.) Or working in a national park. Or working on some extremely lucrative short-term job. Or working some entry-level job in a fabulous company with an even better retirement system. I'm still vague on this part of the plan, but as of today, I'm thinking about it.
Journal entry of the day - Pie and Crap by Bad Hair Days (5/10/2004) - This is how a recipe should be (except for no picture). "Cool completely on a wire rack if you don’t want berry juice leaking all over the place. Of course, if you do it this way you won’t get warm strawberry goodness and there will be no reason to buy ice cream. It’s all a question of how close to the edge you like to live your life." Also, I even enjoy reading about her new computer thingy. "The Mini is also not available anywhere in the free world and Amazon has the 15-gig iPod on sale for only $35 more than the stupid Mini! That’s like three bucks per extra gig!"