The beauty of a summer holiday

This week, I returned from a nine-day holiday in Croatia, which by European standards is not very long but is by American ones. It was also my first time not bringing along a laptop for a trip of that duration, and wow, what a revelation! Work emails? Eh, I decided to read them when I got back and did not bother with an out-of-office reply. Deadlines for various projects? I either rushed through them before leaving or let them slide and asked for an extension. What I needed was a break from the constant noise that fills modern life, and going to a place that I have not yet been and marveling at new sights, smells, tastes, and encounters was a way for me to be present and to feel alive. I am not the only one to feel this way about travel: the British philosopher Alain de Botton, whose School of Life organization has a cafe and shop in Amsterdam, has written similarly about how travel can be enriching and uplifting.

Why am I writing about my holiday? Well, for my first column of the new academic year, I thought it would be nice to ease back into work mode with a lighter topic than concerns about AI, geopolitics, climate change, or education funding (NB: these are legitimate, but I will pass on them for now). What was striking about my holiday was that it really felt like one: licking my pistachio gelato while admiring the city walls of Dubrovnik; discovering new Croatian artists like Jerolim Mise, Miljenko Stancic, and Vlaho Bukovac who creatively responded to changes in modern art; saying hvala to every local I met and receiving beaming smiles in return. I could feel the tension sweating out from me in the heat and humidity, and I loved it.

My brother, who lives in Los Angeles, joined me for part of the trip and had his work bag with him. Schlep is an Americanism, and it was an apt description. I noticed throughout our stay that he kept checking his computer in our accommodation while I smoked on the terrace or went to sleep before him. He was always awake before I was as well, and even if his laptop did not accompany us during the day, he continued to check his phone. Was he enjoying himself? He said he did for the most part, but I sensed that for him vacation was something to accomplish (e.g., getting passport stamps at border crossings) as opposed to something to experience and feel. Do I understand why our approaches differ? It could be cultural (American versus European work-life balance), structural (number of paid leave days), or personal (corporate versus academic jobs). At the end of the day, neither is better than the other; it's ultimately a matter of preference, but I can say I am very happy with mine.

The contrast with my brother made me realize how genuinely lucky I am to have my profession and to live where I do. As an academic in the Netherlands, my work schedule has a seasonal rhythm and a solid summer break. September is always a bit of a hot mess, leading up to the December recess, then a slow and grey thaw into the April and May holidays before reaching July, when my office is closed for a few weeks. Every two or three months, I see fresh faces in the different courses I teach, and in the summer my colleagues and I disappear to some random locations before reconvening in late August. Am I less productive during the summer? Yes. Am I happier? Yes. While nine days may not seem long, it was just enough for me to feel outside my usual routine, to eat indulgently, to sleep in, and to fully stretch out. Seeing my brother with his laptop made me simultaneously sympathetic and grateful, and returning to the office reminded me that having a vacation is both necessary and natural. Here's to a great start to the school year!

On Staff's Viewpoint, UU's employees share their views with the UU community. The economic historian John Tang is one of the columnists invited for this space. You can also read students' perspectives on Students' Viewpoint and click here to check out students and staff's columns in Dutch.