What I Learned From Holiday Time

I'm writing this as part of the awesomeness that is the What I Learned From... group writing projects at Middle Zone Musings.

Firstly, I should mention that I called this 'holiday' rather than 'vacation' because, while National Lampoon European Vacation was great, they're generally called holidays in Australia.

I've just gone back to university after a mid year break, so this group writing topic couldn't have come at a better time.

After my exam last semester I had 8 and a half weeks of holiday before me. I gave myself a list of things I wanted to do before the holidays were over. For instance, I wanted to scan all 9 issues and other extra publications of Smash Comics Journal and put them on the web, followed by some ongoing new material. I think I've only put the first four issues up. I also had a list of books a mile long to read. I watched a lot of movies, most of them Godzilla movies, and I did read a few books, but they were not the ones I had planned on reading.

I basically put what I felt like doing on a particular day before any other kind of agenda, and thus nothing happened. Holiday time is different from regular time. In regular time you can kind of go 'Okay, Ive got assignment X due here so I'll make sure it's done in time, even if that means cramming it all in at the last minute'. In holiday time you go 'Okay, I want to finally read James Joyce's Ulysses. What better time than the holidays. I've got plenty of time though. I'll read something else first and get to it before the holidays are over'. The holidays are over. I have not read James Joyce's Ulysses.

It's not that the time flies. Holiday time perception is a strange phenomena. Because most holiday days are spent in my pajamas at home, sitting in front of the computer for much longer than any human being should, the days don't really feel like they are going very fast. If anything they drag, but you're on holidays so you enjoy the drag. It's relaxing. Then 8 and a half weeks later you go, 'That went pretty quickly'. Do you know what I mean? Holiday time exists in a vacuum outside of regular time.

I think I'll end it there, because I'm starting to sound like a crazy person. Either that or an idiot. So, what did I learn from holiday time? I learned that in my next holidays, if I really want to do something, I should just do it then and there and not put it off. Alternatively, I should just decide I don't really want to do anything except enjoy myself and do that.

jej