I have two weeks of vacation to serve as a stress-reliever for a tough teaching job. I want to enjoy every minute of it and at the same time, I want to have a quality vacation that will improve my well-being.

Below is a plan I have developed to accomplish my goal for the remaining days of the year:

1. Spend Quality Time With Family - Christmas, like what Jeni has commented in my previous post, is a time for togetherness. It is meant for family traditions. While my family is back in the Philippines celebrating a normal Filipino Christmas, my father and I plan to attend the midnight mass on Christmas Eve and then watch NBA games on the 25th here in our apartment in Jersey City.

2. Open Gifts Right Away - It may sound unreal, but I discovered that some of the presents I received from last year remained unopened for 365 days. It’s funny, but at the same time, I felt upset for being too lazy sorting them out. Some of the items could have been useful to me the past year. The gifts include: candies and chocolates, neckties, shirt, and other things. Therefore, my advice for you is to not procrastinate: open the boxes and bags on Christmas Day and sort them out right away. Don’t let the chocolates grow some hair!

3. Learn New Things - I am a directionally-challenged person: it would take me several trips to a destination before I can master the roads. That is why I appreciated receiving a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. It is a gadget that guides drivers in directions via satellite. This is the first time I’m using one so I’m more than willing to spend time learning and testing it by driving around the community using my old Honda.

4. Rest and Relax - Are you going out with some friends to watch AVP (Alien Vs Predator)? Do you prefer to sleep or read a book? Perhaps listen to iPod and download music from iTunes? Whatever it is that you plan to do for relaxing, then just do it. The essence of vacation is to rest, recharge, and then….

5. Prepare for the Days Ahead - Chance favors a prepared mind. My preparation before school reopens on January 2nd, includes: tidying up my room, doing the laundry, and doing some work that I brought home. I want to come back looking fresh without any vacation hangover. I want to stand tall so others will see me ready to work, ready for the new year.

I hope you find these tips useful. If you have other tips and recommendations, feel free to leave a comment below.

Popularity: 14% [?]