Has this happened to anyone else?

[David1961]

You go away on a nice vacation. But instead of returning to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, you return hating your job more than when you left and are more committed to FIRE. I liken it to an animal who is caged up, then is free for a week, then is forced to go back in his cage. I understand why work is a four letter word!

 

[Grizz]

Happened to me once a couple of years back. As jobs go, mine is pretty good, yet returning to work after a wonderful summer vacation made me absolutely miserable for a couple of weeks that year. I can't explain why that year was any different from any other, but boy was it awful.

On the upside, it was the catalyst that got me to start thinking about and planning for an ER.

 

[justin]

Is it a different feeling from the Monday Mornings? I feel great and relaxed on Fri Night, sat and Sun, then the dream ends on Monday Morning every week.

 

[Sandy]

Yes, this past year when we really took a vacation (versus visit family or simple few day trips). It took me a couple of weeks to get back into the swing. I won't put my pictures on as screen savers because it just makes me wish I was there rather than here.

 

[MissParker]

I can relate to what justin wrote about Monday's. Friday and Saturday I am happy and relaxed. Sunday morning I'm fine but as early as Sunday evening it all starts to go away because I know that I have to get up and go to work in the morning.
I can't speak to the returning from vacation scenario since I've never had a vacation where I just took time off and went away for a couple of weeks.
I am planning on retiring in 15 years and have daily daydreams about that!

 

[kumquat]

The last several years before FIRE I never took more than one week of vacation at a time. The exception was 3 years prior when we took 2 weeks. After that I swore if I ever did it again, I'd like it (and hate w*rk) enough that I'd never go back.

You're in good company, but for your sake, I hope you're close.

 

[NotSoonEnough]

Ugh! When I used to hear people say things like, "I wish it was Friday", I would tell them that they were wishing their lives away. And I would tell myself how lucky I was to have a job that I enjoyed, work was fun! Times sure have changed, in the past couple of years I have become one of those people, even wishing my co-workers a "Happy Friday Eve" on Thursdays.

 

[GoodSense]

Just happened last week!

I returned from a wonderful vacation, with painful work-related memories erased from my brain.

Then I turned on my computer, read the first 20 of the 150+ emails, then the sinking feeling began to engulf me. I could actually feel the shift of brain cells that went from relaxed to stressed.

So yeah, I have a case of the post-vacation blues.

 

[Goonie]

Every February for several years I've gone to Florida for 2 or 3 weeks. Always enjoyed the sun, sand, & surf!!! Then at the end of the vacation I'd trek back to the Frozen North, and my "delightful" j*b. BUMMER!!! All of that enjoyable R&R chucked right out the window into a snow drift!

This year I went to Florida again and enjoyed the sun, sand, & surf! But returning to w*rk in the Frozen North wasn't so bad this time......I FIRE'd exactly one month later!!!

 

[Nords]

You go away on a nice vacation. But instead of returning to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, you return hating your job more than when you left and are more committed to FIRE. I liken it to an animal who is caged up, then is free for a week, then is forced to go back in his cage. I understand why work is a four letter word!

I always hated the part of vacation where you have to work twice as hard for a couple weeks to get free, and then after you get back you have to work twice as hard for a couple weeks to get caught up. It's like buying your leisure time twice.

Is it a different feeling from the Monday Mornings? I feel great and relaxed on Fri Night, sat and Sun, then the dream ends on Monday Morning every week.

Now in ER it's "Thank God it's Monday!!"

 

[clifp]

My company offered sabbatical every seven years. The first one left refreshed and reinvigorated for working. (Don't blame me they doped the water.) Right before the second sabbatical ended I realized really really didn't want to go back to work. I was gone 6 months later.

 

[template]

You go away on a nice vacation. But instead of returning to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, you return hating your job more than when you left and are more committed to FIRE. ...

You've gotten a taste of freedom and a peek at what retirement could look like.

 

[HFWR]

Ugh! When I used to hear people say things like, "I wish it was Friday", I would tell them that they were wishing their lives away. And I would tell myself how lucky I was to have a job that I enjoyed, work was fun! Times sure have changed, in the past couple of years I have become one of those people, even wishing my co-workers a "Happy Friday Eve" on Thursdays.

S.H.I.T. - So Happy It's Thursday

 

[maddythebeagle]

I have done some longer breaks 3-4 weeks to work on the house and it always seems that the job is always in the back of your mind....I think others that have FIREd mentioned a period of transition...

 

[NotSoonEnough]

S.H.I.T. - So Happy It's Thursday

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

My company offered sabbatical every seven years. The first one left refreshed and reinvigorated for working. (Don't blame me they doped the water.) Right before the second sabbatical ended I realized really really didn't want to go back to work. I was gone 6 months later.

I didnt recover from the first one. All the politics and organizational internally induced stress seemed ridiculous. Never warmed back up with the rest of the frogs and jumped out of the pan.

 

[Ronstar]

For the past few years, coming back from vacation has been rough. Now that I've cut back to 4 day work weeks with Fridays off, every Monday is a transition. I definitely like the S.H.I.T. acronym!

 

[Medit8]

I took a year off from w*rk, from October 05 to October 06 then went back. I felt completely disoriented the first 3 months. Getting up on a schedule, wearing a suit and tie . Horrible. Anyway, at that time I needed about 2 years more before the comfort zone of FIRE would be reached. I have exactly 20 months left. Reading this board keeps me motivated and intent on not continuing a single day more than is absolutely necessary.

 

[Meadbh]

This is how I feel this morning. My 70 hour a week job will be an 80 hour a week job for the next two weeks to make up for my week off. And I spent half my week off worrying about w*ork.

 

[counting]

I always feel disoriented after a vacation. You've had that taste of freedom, but not really. I could never take a sabbatical. I don't think I could get back into the traces. Of course you're talking the person who day one of preparation for work, grade one, couldn't stand the rules and regulations and after one-half day put in her resignation. Needless to say it wasn't accepted. 18 months to go... one foot at a time.

 

[Donzo]

I used to feel sick on Sunday afternoons while working - the only thing that would help was to go in my office and w*rk for a couple hours to get a jump on Monday. That was terrible - plus every Monday morning at 7 am all managers were required to be on a conference call - they would always do a role call - the tones on the attendees voices saying "present" said it all.
Now I struggle to remember what day it is! Much better!

 

[MissParker]

counting - Why wouldn't they accept your resignation? Were you under contract or something?

 

[RetireeRobert]

You go away on a nice vacation. But instead of returning to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, you return hating your job more than when you left and are more committed to FIRE. I liken it to an animal who is caged up, then is free for a week, then is forced to go back in his cage. I understand why work is a four letter word!

Having been ER'd for seven years now, I cannot relate to any ideas having to do with going to w*rk anymore.

 

[Medit8]

Having been ER'd for seven years now, I cannot relate to any ideas having to do with going to w*rk anymore.

Congratulations.