Time Machine: Summer Vacation

Time seems to move slower when you’re young. I’ve wondered why, and I suspected that it had to do with the three-month summer vacation. Toward the end of summer, it would get a little boring and time would seem to drag.



After leaving college, that yearly cycle was broken. I entered the adult world of two to three weeks of vacation a year, plus some paid holidays. I did that for 20 plus years.

Recently I heard the time mystery compared to a roll of toilet paper: it goes slow at first, then it flies off the roll! How can you slow it down?

I’ve found a remedy: ten week summer vacations, plus two weeks at Christmas, plus a week at Easter, and a dozen other days sprinkled in for good measure. Ahhh…

Time. Slows. Down.



Although teaching is often fast-paced, near frenetic, and sometimes borders on being all consuming, it has its perks. One of them is time travel.

I get to travel back in time to a land of summer vacations, spring breaks, and Christmas vacations. This has the effect of slowing things down. I might even get bored… in about eight weeks.

Then I might teach a short summer school. Or not. It depends on if I’m “picked” via the seniority scheme. But, either way, I’m on the brink of summer vacation. Ten, long, time-bending weeks.



I have few plans, fewer commitments, but lots of time to tinker, explore, relax, nap, garden, learn, spend time with my wife, visit friends, play racquetball, read some books… I might even get bored. I’ve got the time.

Score!