This month I am taking a vacation. Since the start of the pandemic my only travel has been last summer for our daughter’s wedding, which lucky for us happened when COVID was trending down for a short time frame. Of course, there have been trips to our home in Bay St. Louis, but no real vacation. No time where you just put the phone and email down and get away and relax. Well, that is about to change.
Over Thanksgiving, as our family gathered together — with a daughter that lives out of town we have become a rotating holiday krewe, this year was our turn to host Thanksgiving — Andrea and I began to discuss with everyone and plan a family trip, one that would bring all of us together for a week. Our family is now nine strong with the arrival of our granddaughter last spring, and we have not been able to gather for going on two years now. Holidays do not count — way too much stress with holiday gatherings — I am sure you can relate.
I have always been an all-in family guy. I remember the days when our girls were in high school and participating in sports, I would leave work at 3 p.m. to attend numerous afterschool basketball and softball games. Of course, that put me working late some evenings, but the experience of seeing my girls learning teamwork and sportsmanship was worth the adjustment in scheduling.
That brings me back to vacation. Our vacation policy here at Renaissance is one of “use it or lose it” as I truly feel everyone needs time away to reenergize their batteries so that they can come back to work with a clear mind. So many new ideas are sparked by time away from the daily routine.
Our company has embraced the work-from-home model. We now have 85% of our staff working remotely. Our weekly meetings are team oriented, and I feel driving great communication between departments. This has made me feel comfortable that it is a good time to get away and see staff teamwork in action.
Enjoy your February! As you get ready for Mardi Gras, I encourage you to find your own time and place this year to experience a family vacation.
