As the President gets back to work, I follow…

I’m pretty sure President Obama was reading national security briefings instead of sipping Pina Coladas poolside and reading Twilight, but at least the man got a much-needed vacation.  Sure, he played a few rounds of golf in between phone calls, took a bike ride (ahem without a helmet) and grabbed some ice cream with his daughters  before tackling the current health-care dilemma, but the man still got stuff done.   I enjoyed a working vacation too….well, less stress and more enjoyment for me than the President, but hey, I brought my laptop.
 
Not much is worse than that dull, gut-wringing feeling that appears on the eve of your vacations’ end.  Voice mails, emails, and new office drama eagerly awaits your arrival the next morning.  You try to push it from your head and enjoy the last hours of vacation but it persists, and slowly eats away at your care-free vacation mode and practicality returns.
 
But, in the era of iPhones, BlackBerries, and laptops that make it harder to relax and shut down for vacation — is that really a bad thing?  I’m not saying I put in tons of hours while away, but I could keep an eye on my email, hear from clients, and be forewarned of client problems or needs, making the transition back to the real world that much gentler. I’ll take checking in daily on vacation, rather than being blind-sided Monday morning. 
 
Bonus: it also kept my kids entertained while I watched the Red Sox (thanks Shark Tale DVD and Youtube) and my Mom too (thanks Nabisco Snacks for the plethora of games offered to shill your snacks).
 
Now I’m back…and it’s not so bad.