How to Take a Vacation When You Work for Yourself
Self-employed? Taking vacations is essential, and easy to pull off if you plan ahead, communicate, and stand your ground.
Recently, we took a break from the grind and let our imaginations run wild, and brought you a number of fictional spots any freelancer would want to avoid. But then we turned the question on its head: What are the best fictional places to go to get your projects done?
Elwood City Library — What a Wonderful Kind of Day to Freelance
Arthur’s crew was insanely smart, even though they’ve been stuck in the third grade for almost twenty years now. They’ve done cool projects on ancient civilizations, have an uncharacteristically fine taste for avant-garde music, and gave us their own version of the Odyssey. And none of that would have been possible without the bedrock of elementary intellect and hangout supreme— the local library. It’s there that this group of kids got Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Redman to square off in a musical battle. And the summer programs looked so fun. Try to find a more intellectually stimulating library. Just avoid it when they pull a 180 and attempt a musical episode. That could get noisy.
The Nebuchadnezzar — Nothing to Distract Freelancers Here
Many an internet user has made a strong case against the “Real World” in the Matrix. Some of the lifestyle parameters of life on earth circa 2199 suck. Burlap sacks aren’t exactly what we’d call a freelancer’s ideal outfit, and a lunch of tinned gruel cannot be a good lunch. But if you do insist on taking the red pill (let’s be honest, it’s because you want nothing more than to be a Jiu Jitsu master isn’t it?) there are some perks. For one, being on a ship like the Neb means that you are surrounded by tech warriors. It’s a custom setup— the jankiness kind of gives the ship its charm— so the wifi must be incredible. It also looks like the earth from that time is completely desolate. So while the concept of pastimes may be dead, there is no way you’re getting distracted by anything outdoors. Double the appeal if you’re a freelance coder or web developer. You have so much onboard help, there’s no getting tripped up mid-assignment.
Frank Underwood’s Oval Office — No Goofing Off Allowed
We get it. Frank’s a morally bankrupt dude, and we can’t imagine you’d want to spend too much time around him. But consider just how much you could get done when the most intense of presidents is sitting a few feet away from you. Thinking of sneaking onto the front page of Reddit? Frank won’t stand for that sort of procrastination. Whip out your phone to check your Instagram updates? He’ll swat it out of your hand like his name were Mutombo. If he wins reelection, Claire will officially be by his side, and that is a pair of humans you don’t want to seen goofing off around.
Ron Swanson’s Secret Cabin — Freelance Sanctuary
If you can ensure you aren’t joined by his offbeat coworkers, Ron’s woodside retreat would be awesome for work. You can take the opportunity to get away from it all and collect your thoughts. It’s an ideal hang for ghost-authors and freelance writers of all stripes. The beauteous surroundings will serve as all manner of inspiration. Get your work done on time; if you’re über lucky Ron just might take you out fishing, and cook a hearty steak dinner to cap off the night.
