It’s that time of year again. My wife and son are off to her family’s annual vacation spot and I have remained behind to watch over our house and our cats, and to catch up on work while they’re gone. Some might call my situation unfortunate, but I rather enjoy it.
I obviously love my wife and her side of the family. I enjoy spending time with them. But there’s something about their vacation spot that never totally clicked with me. I went for a few years, back when it was easier for us to secure cat-sitters, but never felt that connection to the place that she and her family do.
Then one year she and I got into an argument that made her cry, and though we’ve long since reconciled that, I’ve never totally forgiven myself for making her upset at a place that means so much to her. When one of our beloved cats passed away that following year, I opted to stay home and watch our remaining cats. And since then, I haven’t gone back.
My week to myself is good for me, and for my mental health. Not because I like being away from my family, but because there’s still a part of me that is accustomed to solitude from my early webcomics days. I don’t get many opportunities to have an entire day to dedicate to working on comics or commissions, uninterrupted by school or summer camp, so when this week comes around I’ve learned to take full advantage of it.
Once again I’ve dedicated this week to working on the last of my Kickstarter campaign commissions. Monday was a full day and very productive, and I was able to take lengthier breaks than I usually do when other responsibilities are looming over my work time. None of those other familial responsibilities are a factor during this week, so I was able to get a lot done without overwhelming myself. The rest of the week’s workload is looking quite promising.
I am extremely lucky to be not only be in a situation where I can dedicate an entire week to my work, but to have a spouse who understands my need for an annual dose of solitude to reset my social and parental batteries. In all fairness I’ve offered her similar time away, but she’s not as good with solitude as I am.