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Ask HN: 2 weeks off work, what to do?
26 points by renaissance_tea on Dec 4, 2022 | hide | past | favorite | 52 comments
Rough year of self induced stress for me so I’m taking two weeks off. What would you do?

Where I live, I have no friends and family. Looking for ideas to reset and have a good, productive time off




Personally two things come to mind: Hedonistic or Noble

Hedonistic: Fly to Amsterdam one way, buy a few doses of truffles, smoke some weed, see some boobs or whatever floats your boat I dunno. Then go to centraal station, buy the first train ticket and keep traveling. Stay in hostels, be open to meeting people. Every hostel will point you to walking tours in the morning, and usually a group will go together. Just join that group.

Saying "Hey, I've got some mushrooms, why don't we all go find somewhere to do them and hike" is actually a great icebreaker at a hostel. It's how I met my (sober) wife. Making friends at hostels throughout Europe was how I rebuilt my life after burning out on my 100% tech social network.

--

Nobel: Call up Habitat for Humanity, tell them you have 2 weeks free and want to help out on a build if they have any open in the country. I did this as well, it's how I learned carpentry.


Be wary, some ppl in bars abuse of you when you go the Hedonistic type. They think you're gullible and drunk (so don't be too drunk)

Last time I did that (not in Amsterdam), a group of 5~6 sailors wanted to come in my hotel room. (And they also wanted me to pay for the note at the bar and for the taxi) (these were memorable holiday, for the record)

@op Don't you have internet friends that you could join in some other country ? Or is there some city that organises a mildly interesting fair around, with boonies to explore around ?


Very good point. Know your limits, and do things like only keep your hotel room key, phone, and a half empty wallet (keep money in your pocket as well as your wallet).. but don't let fear get in the way. We only live once.


Travel. Dont over think it. Go now, go light. Just book a hotel\hostel somewhere out of the beaten path for a few days to get your bearings then explore and wing it. You dont need\want an itenary, doors will open to you unkown when you take the first steps there. Visiting natural wonders is a good way to guide you..


100% open Skyscanner, search for flights from your nearest airport to anywhere in the world. Buy the cheapest ticket and have an adventure.

Stay in a youth hostel so you meet people to have the adventure with


The OP wasn’t asking for advice, they’re asking what you would do.

Is this what you’ve done before or what you would do with 2 weeks off work? Or is it just advice for someone in this situation?


Spend some time out in nature. Extended periods of time away from the computer and out in nature is good for the soul.


Many workaholics feel the need to do something productive during holidays. That's a paradox !

During a time off, you're allowed to do nothing and to rest. Nobody will judge you.

If you afraid of being lonely and have a budget, you can travel, discover new things or culture, meet people and embrace your life as the song "Sea, Sex and Sun".


Sleep a lot, eat your favorite foods, eat healthy, work out, just go sit on a beach or park bench, work on a dream project you always wanted to start on. Just things that come to mind.


>>> eat your favorite foods, eat healthy

Conflicting orders, cannot comply..

(All jokes aside - I believe if only I would know how to make healthy food enjoyable I would become billionair)


The trick for me was to start enjoying the healthy food. Asparagus and cauliflower suck, but add some bacon to it, dip it in sriracha, and eat it as a side with a juicy steak and it’s suddenly not that bad!

I don’t enjoy sweets or fast food though, so that makes things a bit easier for me. And thank god for Coke Zero.


I will generalize Your observation a bit - proper spiecies are probably the secret that will unlock healthy food for me someday. I have not found those yet - hot pepper based sauses are the closest, but unfortunately despite my mind loving them, my body not so much (especially my bowels). But You are right - this is the way (and You are not the only one - even Schwarzenegger believes in it - https://youtu.be/0L5SZLUmnYA?t=33)


This.


Get busy with something even if that is vacationing. Just don't sit around and sleep+idle you will regret it. If you can't do anything else wander about aimlessly in your city and discover stuff.


Seriously, if you have the money go and travel. Visit family if you are on good terms with them?


My vote for travel as well. International if you haven’t done one. I’m always surprised to see how many of my fellow American coworkers haven’t don’t oversea trips but the ones that do do it for the first time are happy and can’t wait to do it again.


Best holiday I had in recent memory was in a cottage overlooking a big river with no electricity - so I read books all day, swam, and had some good pizza.


Don't be productive, go visit friends and family. Hang out in the woods. Take up a hobby with low mental overhead.


Fly to Bangkok and stay in a hostel close to Khaosan. If you are less than 35 you'll find buddies here.


Go to Costa Rica and learn to surf.


If you have a license, take a road trip, they can be quite relaxing solo. Every morning when you wake up just look at the map and figure out where you want to reach that day and take it from there.


Can you get into a silent meditation retreat?

I just got out of one, and all the things I learned about myself, and how I relate to my emotions has been fascinating.


Two big wins for self-care: long walks and meditation


Nothing. Do nothing. Bore yourself out of your mind. Resist wanting to do anything useful or productive. Look, listen and smell your surroundings. Remind yourself what it means to be alive. You now have time to gaze what the sky looks like again, or appreciate how nice your floors or walls are. Do this until you genuinely want to do something again.


Stay away from you computer.


Travel somewhere. Explore. Get lost. Have fun.


I just started a month off of work (same situation as you) and will be returning at the start of January. I’m going to be keeping up with a running training plan I started a few months ago, trying to read a book every day or two, going to the coffee shop I like, and that’s it.


What books have you enjoyed thus far?


I’ve read 3 trashy detective novels over the weekend but coming up I have:

* How to Measure Anything

* Deep Work

* This is How They Tell Me the World Ends

Recently though, I enjoyed Bob Igor’s book as well as Fanatical Prospecting (about inbound sales).


Deep Work is in my top 3 favs. I’ll recommend “Why We Sleep”


Specifically because it's December, take a look at whitewater rafting in Chile on the Futaleufu River. Not cheap but looks absolutely amazing. (if it was summer I'd suggest Middle Fork of Idaho's Salmon River, which I've done and strongly recommend!)


If you're struggling with self induced stress, try not to have a "productive" time off.

Go travel, somewhere you've always wanted to go. Or get high and play video games if that's more your speed.

Do whatever seems fun, don't be occupied with productivity.


Go to the closest library, get as many completely different books as catch your interest. Go home and spend at least 10 minutes with each book, of course going longer if you are enjoying it.

Take a break every once in a while for a light exercise.

Spend as little time with technology as possible.

Repeat daily.

That’s it.


Whatever you do, most likely you will come back to work with rejuvenated hate towards it.


Look inward, focus on yourself. Don't be sorry about it. If that means rest, or doing 'nothing' all day looking out a window or in nature don't feel bad it.


Do not touch any computers (phone included). Just do it!


Would be nice to know what to expect and/or the subtleties of it, which character is assumed. I tried to do it and it was dull and boring. I did all my chores though.


It's nice how your name matches your question.


Go to the gym, read great books, meet new people.


How do you typically meet new people?


Find new hobbies. Try skiing. Try kickboxing. Try dancing classes. Do weight training.


> productive

Don't try to be productive, you won't be refreshed.


>I have no friends and family

start friendships, go on dates


Learn to cook your favorite dishes.


relax with a good novel!


Any recs?


sure, if you can tell me your general taste in novels I'd be happy to recommend a few :)


I have an open mind and love to read, shoot me your favs!


i mostly read genre stuff (science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, humour), my all time favourite author being terry pratchett. "guards! guards!" is a great first book of his, it's humorous fantasy but also with a lot of depth and superb character development. if you like that, go on to read the entire discworld series, they are almost all excellent.

science fiction - i would recommend lois bujold's "vorkosigan" series. start with "the warrior's apprentice"; there are two prequels but they can be read on their own at any time and i think "the warrior's apprentice" is a better introduction to the series.

another very engaging series is harry kemmelman's "rabbi small" mysteries, they are both great mystery novels and an overall story arc of a young rabbi establishing himself in a small new england town.


[flagged]


The OP is not asking a bunch of geeks what to do with time off. They’re asking a bunch of geeks what these geeks would do with time off. There’s a big difference and it’s interesting to me that so many of the geeks here jump to “advice mode” rather than answering the question.


Buy and download Elder Scrolls online. Drop me your user name and you can join my clan (depending on where you play it).

You’ll have friends that will fast become family :) it is a challenging but achievable game with a lot of depth.


Thanks I may take you up on that haha




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