Like many people, my vacation plans have been marred by the COVID-19 pandemic. This week I would have been at a 9-day board game convention with one of my best friends. Understandably, I have some unpleasant emotions about this. I’ve also been feel drained and unmotivated this week. On the surface I thought it was was just the wishing the world was “normal” again so the game convention could exist. But it dawned on me last night that it’s also because I just need a vacation.
But what the heck is a vacation in a pandemic when you hate camping?
A friend pointed out that a vacation doesn’t have to be a whole todo. That if at the end of it you feel like you did somethings you enjoyed and feel even a bit more rested than you did before, then the vacation was “successful.” This is a little tricky as an extrovert whose vacations generally mean visiting friends in other cities. But I certainly have hobbies and things I enjoy doing at/near home. The things I want to do on the weekends but never seem to have enough for time because of chores and other needs.
So I’ve decided to plan a 5 day weekend where I can just do whatever I feel like will bring me joy in the moment.
The Anxious Ph.D. Student Blog 