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Ask HN: 2 weeks off work, what to do?

26 points by renaissance_tea ↗ HN
Rough year of self induced stress for me so I’m taking two weeks off. What would you do?

Where I live, I have no friends and family. Looking for ideas to reset and have a good, productive time off

56 comments

[ 23.2 ms ] story [ 340 ms ] thread
phendrenad2
Sleep a lot, eat your favorite foods, eat healthy, work out, just go sit on a beach or park bench, work on a dream project you always wanted to start on. Just things that come to mind.
v-erne
>>> eat your favorite foods, eat healthy

Conflicting orders, cannot comply..

(All jokes aside - I believe if only I would know how to make healthy food enjoyable I would become billionair)

iakov
The trick for me was to start enjoying the healthy food. Asparagus and cauliflower suck, but add some bacon to it, dip it in sriracha, and eat it as a side with a juicy steak and it’s suddenly not that bad!

I don’t enjoy sweets or fast food though, so that makes things a bit easier for me. And thank god for Coke Zero.

v-erne
I will generalize Your observation a bit - proper spiecies are probably the secret that will unlock healthy food for me someday. I have not found those yet - hot pepper based sauses are the closest, but unfortunately despite my mind loving them, my body not so much (especially my bowels). But You are right - this is the way (and You are not the only one - even Schwarzenegger believes in it - https://youtu.be/0L5SZLUmnYA?t=33)
david927
Travel somewhere. Explore. Get lost. Have fun.
leros
Stay away from you computer.
duped
Don't be productive, go visit friends and family. Hang out in the woods. Take up a hobby with low mental overhead.
thewizardofaus
Spend some time out in nature. Extended periods of time away from the computer and out in nature is good for the soul.
Sevrene
Look inward, focus on yourself. Don't be sorry about it. If that means rest, or doing 'nothing' all day looking out a window or in nature don't feel bad it.
lowkey
Two big wins for self-care: long walks and meditation
[dead] adyashakti
paulcole
The OP is not asking a bunch of geeks what to do with time off. They’re asking a bunch of geeks what these geeks would do with time off. There’s a big difference and it’s interesting to me that so many of the geeks here jump to “advice mode” rather than answering the question.
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zem
relax with a good novel!
renaissance_tea
Any recs?
zem
sure, if you can tell me your general taste in novels I'd be happy to recommend a few :)
renaissance_tea
I have an open mind and love to read, shoot me your favs!
zem
i mostly read genre stuff (science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, humour), my all time favourite author being terry pratchett. "guards! guards!" is a great first book of his, it's humorous fantasy but also with a lot of depth and superb character development. if you like that, go on to read the entire discworld series, they are almost all excellent.

science fiction - i would recommend lois bujold's "vorkosigan" series. start with "the warrior's apprentice"; there are two prequels but they can be read on their own at any time and i think "the warrior's apprentice" is a better introduction to the series.

another very engaging series is harry kemmelman's "rabbi small" mysteries, they are both great mystery novels and an overall story arc of a young rabbi establishing himself in a small new england town.

noam_compsci
Buy and download Elder Scrolls online. Drop me your user name and you can join my clan (depending on where you play it).

You’ll have friends that will fast become family :) it is a challenging but achievable game with a lot of depth.

petronio
If you have a license, take a road trip, they can be quite relaxing solo. Every morning when you wake up just look at the map and figure out where you want to reach that day and take it from there.
xyzal
Do not touch any computers (phone included). Just do it!
wruza
Would be nice to know what to expect and/or the subtleties of it, which character is assumed. I tried to do it and it was dull and boring. I did all my chores though.
badrabbit
Get busy with something even if that is vacationing. Just don't sit around and sleep+idle you will regret it. If you can't do anything else wander about aimlessly in your city and discover stuff.
terminalcommand
Seriously, if you have the money go and travel. Visit family if you are on good terms with them?
pcurve
My vote for travel as well. International if you haven’t done one. I’m always surprised to see how many of my fellow American coworkers haven’t don’t oversea trips but the ones that do do it for the first time are happy and can’t wait to do it again.
julienreszka
>I have no friends and family

start friendships, go on dates

iLoveOncall
> productive

Don't try to be productive, you won't be refreshed.

s3000
It's nice how your name matches your question.
ddorian43
Find new hobbies. Try skiing. Try kickboxing. Try dancing classes. Do weight training.
liampulles
Best holiday I had in recent memory was in a cottage overlooking a big river with no electricity - so I read books all day, swam, and had some good pizza.
QuiCasseRien
Many workaholics feel the need to do something productive during holidays. That's a paradox !

During a time off, you're allowed to do nothing and to rest. Nobody will judge you.

If you afraid of being lonely and have a budget, you can travel, discover new things or culture, meet people and embrace your life as the song "Sea, Sex and Sun".

schaefer
Can you get into a silent meditation retreat?

I just got out of one, and all the things I learned about myself, and how I relate to my emotions has been fascinating.

genjii931
Learn to cook your favorite dishes.