How do you manage to get out of work for 5 weeks?

I am an Administrative Assistant in the US civil service. and in the midst of negotiating the 6 to 7 weeks off for my Camino: SDJJ to the sea. My Director, always the one to promote staff development, has tasked me with developing a prospectus for my trip. I am to cover time off, manning, duty sharing issues, and the "why fors". He will then take my prospectus to his Director for approval, expecially since it will require a temporary assignment to put someone in my postion while I am gone. I dont really wish to play the "I guess I will quit then" card, but it will be in my hand if the leave is not approved. My manager is very receptive, having vacationed in Spain in the last two years and upper managment knows i am of "peculiar interests".

Retire?

Al the optimist said:

Retire?

Click to expand...

Got it in one.

A few years ago when I was running my own business I couldn't have imagined taking a couple of months off to go walking. We had over 60 employees and having a week was almost too long. Thankfully we sold our business 7 years ago but since then I also learned a very big lesson.

On the 9th September 2010 I went into hospital for what I thought was a fairly routine op... I left list of things that had to be done, urgent jobs that must be finished, things that couldnt wait, shopping that had to be got, phone calls to be made... we all have such lists don't we?

On the 10th of September they told me I had cancer and you know what - all of my problems disappeared. Not one of those jobs got done, not one thing was ever ticked off that list, not one urgent thing was bought and for eight months we stepped out of our normal lives and did what we were told to do... everything else waited or was simply forgotten.

I know that when you're in emplyment you simply dont have the luxury of making things wait or putting things off... but I bet your company would cope if you had to have 6 weeks off for medical reasons... it's such a shame that they can't cope for other reasons too.

For all of you that struggle to find the time... I hope luck is on your side!