I Need A Vacation!

Ok, I know I just returned from Egypt and technically I had off from December 23 to January 7, but there was nothing relaxing about being in Egypt and I've been sick ever since we returned. Luckily I've been able to rest all weekend. It's really nice not having any commitments right now, which is so different than the hectic nature of our life last month...although I guess the holidays are always like that. Literally the next thing on our calendar is our trip to Italy over Easter in early April...so that leaves over two months to relax! I love travelling and it's what we came here to do, but it's tiring and takes a lot of work. Especially when visiting non-English speaking countries. I've been trying hard to make hotel reservations for Venice, but it's proving to be very dificult. Some hotels require a minimum 4 night stay over Easter, some don't have staff which speak English, and others are just incredibly expensive (starting at $300 per night).

So I started my new job this past week and I really like it. Being sick was a horrible way to start, but I made it in Monday through Thursday and just took Friday off. My co-workers seem great, I like the area I work in (lots of windows), and my work is interesting. One of the biggest perks is vacation time. Right now I get 28 days of vacation, however there's a deal being negotiated to raise it to 35 days, which HR told me should be implemented some time this year. Pay was negotiated last year and a 13.1% increase over 2 years was implemented. So every four months, I'll receive a pay increase. Another bonus, is that the admissions office which I work in operates on flexi-time, which means I need to be at work during the core hours of 10:00-4:00, but other than that I can keep my schedule flexible. So I can come in at 8:00 one morning, and 10:00 the next. If I work more than 37 hours in a week, that time accrues and I can use it as vacation time.

It's 11:00am here right now and I've been up long enough, it's time for a nap :)