Back to reality - with a bump

Today has been my first day back in work and I've not really liked it.  It's a little odd because what seems like more people than usual have taken two weeks rather than just one and are still off.  But we have to get back to work as normal which isn't fun after what felt like not enough time off.

I arrived a day after many of my staff and they'd all come back from Christmas with more leave plans for this year and had submitted them for my return.  Actually rather sensible because it's good to have something to look forward to but as I've not got as far as working out where I want to go next, it depressed me somewhat!  So I spent lunchtime looking at Central American possibilities.  I don't know if I'll be able to work out a good time to do it - co-ordinating work and my very nice man's commitments with their weather (having been away in the "green" season before, it is one to be avoided if possible).  It's important to have holidays, right?

I'm still reeling somewhat at the amount of stress and hassle that some people seem to have put themselves under for Christmas.  Having to visit friends or relatives that they didn't want to see, going into debt to buy things they can't afford, not being a little bit more honest with people (including kids, who can understand if you have a sensible conversation with them) so that they didn't have to be so stressed.  Maybe it's just me, but I knew that there were lots of things my parents couldn't afford so we didn't even ask, and sometimes we asked and just didn't get, which was about the same result.  And I don't push myself to do things I don't want to do because that doesn't make me happy, and if I'm not happy, I'm not going to be able to make others happy either. 

But as I say, maybe it's me not understanding the detail of it all.  Maybe life really is a lot more complicated and I missed it?!