Sabbatical

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pezdispenser

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  1. Pharmacist
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Has anyone taken a sabbatical leave in pharmacy? How did it work? My workplace is offering extended leave between May - August. I've paid off all my loans and mortgage so my finances are definitely in order. Seriously considering this. Any thoughts?
 
I would do it! When you are in your 80s you are not going to miss that $40 k.

You have worked hard. It is time for you to be generous on you.


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I'm naturally skeptical and due diligence requires me to ask...are they trying to weed people out who are seen as "less hard working?" Is this an offer that's long standing and has tradition in your work place? Will taking this offer ultimately put your employment at risk?


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as long as none of confettiflyer's concerns are actual issues at you work place -if you can do it financially, I sure the hell would - If I could get a month long break every now and then, I would love it. I always say time is more important than money (provided your house in in order).
 
confettiflyer said:
I'm naturally skeptical and due diligence requires me to ask...are they trying to weed people out who are seen as "less hard working?" Is this an offer that's long standing and has tradition in your work place? Will taking this offer ultimately put your employment at risk?


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Let's say this is just a way for them to weed him out...that is at least 6 months of unemployment check!

You have choices in life when your student loan and mortgage have been paid off. So take advantage of it while you are still young.


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I'd take it if that's something you want to do. I won't read this "leave of absence" too deep either. Whatever happens, happens. Travel, take time off for a while. Pursue your interests/hobbies. Spice things up a little bit, work, home, repeat is boring as sh1t. Life is an adventure.
 
msweph said:
Is this a yearly option or just one time? Either way, do it!
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confettiflyer said:
I'm naturally skeptical and due diligence requires me to ask...are they trying to weed people out who are seen as "less hard working?" Is this an offer that's long standing and has tradition in your work place? Will taking this offer ultimately put your employment at risk?
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Our work volume goes down a lot in the Summer due to the snowbirds leaving Florida. They did offer this a couple of years ago and ironically, I think not enough people took it. So we were overstaffed, sitting around twiddling our thumbs, and they ended up having to lay off and pay severance to a bunch of people. The lay offs were based on the objective performance measures that we have, and years with the company (to minimize severance payouts). I'm ok because my performance is good and I have 10 years with the company. Further adding to the irony was that later that year they hired back some of the very same people they laid off!
 
pezdispenser said:
Our work volume goes down a lot in the Summer due to the snowbirds leaving Florida. They did offer this a couple of years ago and ironically, I think not enough people took it. So we were overstaffed, sitting around twiddling our thumbs, and they ended up having to lay off and pay severance to a bunch of people. The lay offs were based on the objective performance measures that we have, and years with the company (to minimize severance payouts). I'm ok because my performance is good and I have 10 years with the company. Further adding to the irony was that later that year they hired back some of the very same people they laid off!
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In that case...take the time off! Sounds like a good situation.


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Sounds good to me! It's only a few months, anyhow.
 
pezdispenser said:
Has anyone taken a sabbatical leave in pharmacy? How did it work? My workplace is offering extended leave between May - August. I've paid off all my loans and mortgage so my finances are definitely in order. Seriously considering this. Any thoughts?
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https://www.opm.gov/faqs/topic/Senior-Executive-Service/?cid=7a12eb5f-c908-4305-9b34-6a155001ea43

Taking a sabbatical is known to be hazardous to your career, either because you don't want to return or your place figures out that they can do without you. I did it anyway to recover from a really terrible assignment (and the oversight knew it and did not have a problem giving me a paid nine).

If you have a family (spouse or children) I would recommend it without hesitation. Spending some quality time with them if you are willing to do so can be a joy. If you don't have a family, then you need something to do defined when you go on sabbatical. It can be something as simple as "I want six-pack abs" or something more generic like going back for some training, but if you don't have some kind of objective, you'll waste time that could have been put into recovery.

I nearly resigned from my job after my sabbatical; I enjoyed the time off and was brooding about what a mess my life was prior to the sabbatical. I can afford to be a house husband now, but for reasons not worth discussing, I should be working. I'll take mine again at next eligibility (7 years from now).
 
Update: I'm doing it! Going to Australia for a couple of weeks, then coming back and going to take a road trip out West for about 1 month. Hoping to explore the national parks in CO, UT and AZ and maybe even make it all the way to CA.
 
pezdispenser said:
Update: I'm doing it! Going to Australia for a couple of weeks, then coming back and going to take a road trip out West for about 1 month. Hoping to explore the national parks in CO, UT and AZ and maybe even make it all the way to CA.
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Sounds dope. Please post pics of sights and national parks/update this thread with cool stories. Have fun dude.
 
pezdispenser said:
Update: I'm doing it! Going to Australia for a couple of weeks, then coming back and going to take a road trip out West for about 1 month. Hoping to explore the national parks in CO, UT and AZ and maybe even make it all the way to CA.
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I'd do it in a heartbeat. Australia is amazing. It's my favorite country and I've been to couple dozen. Definitely try to go to the Sydney Opera House as well as the Barrier Reef. Taste the kangaroo, crocodile, and emu.
 
npage148 said:
Sabbatical sounds like a classed up kinda voluntary furlough
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It is a furlough, but how it affects you pretty much depends on your financial situation. If you have student loans, a mortgage and car payments to make, you might be in a bit of trouble. But if you're debt free you will probably value the time off more.
 
Pharmacy Kid said:
I'd do it in a heartbeat. Australia is amazing. It's my favorite country and I've been to couple dozen. Definitely try to go to the Sydney Opera House as well as the Barrier Reef. Taste the kangaroo, crocodile, and emu.
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Definitely the kangaroo. It was some of the best meat Ive ever tried.

They have some amazing seafood up there too.


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Ok I'm back. I visited about a dozen National Parks and Monuments, and they were all amazing. Anyway, I'll let these photos tell the story. I use a Sony NEX-5 camera with a Zeiss 16-70mm F4 lens.

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Carlsbad Caverns, NM

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Pikes Peak, CO

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Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

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Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, CO

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Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO
 
How much did you spend on this sabbatical? How many days?


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How did you travel between sites? Car or plane or combination?

If you have a detailed itinerary (how many days at each site, hotels, etc), could you please PM me? Going to all 50 states/as many national monuments as possible is one of my goals.
 
Pharmacy Kid said:
How did you travel between sites? Car or plane or combination?

If you have a detailed itinerary (how many days at each site, hotels, etc), could you please PM me? Going to all 50 states/as many national monuments as possible is one of my goals.
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Yes, post it here.

The pictures look amazing.


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Pharmacy Kid said:
How did you travel between sites? Car or plane or combination?

If you have a detailed itinerary (how many days at each site, hotels, etc), could you please PM me? Going to all 50 states/as many national monuments as possible is one of my goals.
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I drove my own car and put 7,200 miles on it because I came all the way from South Florida.

The itinerary follows the order of the photos. Took me 3 days to drive to Carlsbad NM then I basically began a counter-clockwise loop (some of these I didn't post any photos of):

- White Sands National Monument, NM
- Santa Fe, NM
- Bandelier National Monument, NM
- Capulin Volcano, NM
- Pikes Peak, CO
- Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO
- Denver Downtown
- but stayed in Longmont, CO to be near Rocky Mountain National Park
- Grand Junction, CO - Colorado National Monument, and day tripped to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then back to Grand Junction
- Moab, UT - Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Allow 2-3 hrs to hike to the Delicate Arch and start early when it's cooler if it's Summer.
- I skipped Capital Reef National Park because even just driving along I-70 has some amazing scenery.
- Bryce Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon North Rim are all in the same area but there are only small towns to stay in nearby.

My employer has 15-20% discounts on most hotels through the Perkspot website. I tried to plan about 3 days ahead and book hotels accordingly. Some parks only need half a day to see (the ones with mostly drive-up viewpoints, or 0.5 mile hikes). Others with longer hikes like Arches would usually take one full day, but possibly 2 days to see. I was usually out of the hotel by 7am to maximize daylight, and packed lunch like a sandwich because some of these parks don't have restaurants.
 
PolarPop said:
Did you like the food in NM? Hope you got some green/red chile.
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To be honest, I played it safe and stayed away from the spicy stuff. Didn't want to get the runs in the middle of my road trip lol.
 
Glad to see you enjoyed your time off!
 
Awesome trip - good for you, you'll never regret doing this!!
Kudos for hitting Capulin; everyone skips that one because it is off the beaten path and not a National Park.

No Mesa Verde? You were certainly in the neighborhood when you went to Arches/Canyonlands.
 
Pezdispenser, the pictures are awesome! You definitely won't ever regret this trip. And so inexpensive too. Thanks for sharing! Definitely food for thought for our next vacation.
 
For all of you faced with this choice. Look at what he did. Was working more valuable than the experience? Life is so short. I recommend all of you read this. For those of you are religious, fine. Even if your not, the message of the importance of time over space in our lives is illuminating. Just ignore the religious part of the message and concentrate on the idea that time is more important than space. Think about what he got and what he gave up to get it. Was there really a choice?
 
297point1 said:
Awesome trip - good for you, you'll never regret doing this!!
Kudos for hitting Capulin; everyone skips that one because it is off the beaten path and not a National Park.

No Mesa Verde? You were certainly in the neighborhood when you went to Arches/Canyonlands.
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I actually thought Mesa Verde was a bit too far off my 'loop'. I did see some cliff dwellings including one 140 feet up in Bandelier though.
 
Pharmacy Kid said:
Did you drive alone? I wouldn't be able to.

Did you go to Australia, the best country in the world?
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Yep I did all the driving alone. My trick was to take a 200 mg caffeine tablet after lunch to stave off the drowsiness.

Added up my gas receipts and it was $566 for the 7,200 miles.

Yes I did go to Australia but I am originally from there, so I'm quite flattered that you think it's the best country in the world.
 
pezdispenser said:
Yep I did all the driving alone. My trick was to take a 200 mg caffeine tablet after lunch to stave off the drowsiness.

Added up my gas receipts and it was $566 for the 7,200 miles.

Yes I did go to Australia but I am originally from there, so I'm quite flattered that you think it's the best country in the world.
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I was in Australia (Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney) for 10 days and New Zealand for 10 days last year. Melbourne was blah, Cairns was nice, Sydney was the bomb. I did not see one fat person in Australia.
 
Pharmacy Kid said:
@pezdispenser

I've paid off my loans and sold my house. I'm tempted to do the same thing you did, but I hate driving long distances by myself. I'll also have to find a sitter for my dog or bring her with me. Is it time for myself to have extended adventure?
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How many days can you take off? Why did you decide to sell the house? To pay off your loans?


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Pharmacy Kid said:
@pezdispenser

I've paid off my loans and sold my house. I'm tempted to do the same thing you did, but I hate driving long distances by myself. I'll also have to find a sitter for my dog or bring her with me. Is it time for myself to have extended adventure?
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Sounds like you're keen to break free from the daily hustle and grind. If so, then definitely do it! My employer didn't offer extended leave this year, which makes me even more glad that I did it.

I actually enjoy long road trips, and have a nice car, an Audi A6 which is very quiet and comfortable cruising at 85+ mph. Driving gives you a lot more flexibility and independence. But I'm also mostly an introvert so I don't mind traveling by myself, or get bored or impatient. I've done the fly in and rent a car road trip as well, but having your own car has its advantages like being able to bring a lot of stuff and your dog with you.
 
BMBiology said:
How many days can you take off? Why did you decide to sell the house? To pay off your loans?


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I can take up to 21 days at a time. I sold my house because I relocated, not to pay of my loans. However, I did use the equity proceeds along with savings to pay off my loans all at once.
 
Just got back from a week trip from UT, AZ and NV.. National parks are treasures of this country. Probably best use of my tax dollar! I would highly recommend this to anyone. Southwest definitely has the most geographical diversity in the country. Each park is so unique, yet they are located so close to each other! You don't need to spend half of your time driving around..

Las Vegas on the other hand has truly turned into ****hole!!
 
Chrish said:
Just got back from a week trip from UT, AZ and NV.. National parks are treasures of this country. Probably best use of my tax dollar! I would highly recommend this to anyone. Southwest definitely has the most geographical diversity in the country. Each park is so unique, yet they are located so close to each other! You don't need to spend half of your time driving around..

Las Vegas on the other hand has truly turned into ****hole!!
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What's wrong with Vegas?
 
Chrish said:
The crowd. They were like horde of cattle; in the hotels/ casinos and even on the road.. I mean literally everywhere. And I am not someone who is easily bothered by the big crowd. 6 years ago I spent three days in Vegas and really enjoyed the energy and vibe. But after the experience this time around, I am never going back again.

I blame cheap airlines for this f¥ck up..
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The economy has since recovered. That is why the crowd is back.


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Chrish said:
The crowd. They were like horde of cattle; in the hotels/ casinos and even on the road.. I mean literally everywhere. And I am not someone who is easily bothered by the big crowd. 6 years ago I spent three days in Vegas and really enjoyed the energy and vibe. But after the experience this time around, I am never going back again.

I blame cheap airlines for this f¥ck up..
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Yea, that's what happens when you combine large groups of people with alcohol. They are loud, obnoxious, and walk slow.
 
pezdispenser said:
My employer has 15-20% discounts on most hotels through the Perkspot website. I tried to plan about 3 days ahead and book hotels accordingly. Some parks only need half a day to see (the ones with mostly drive-up viewpoints, or 0.5 mile hikes). Others with longer hikes like Arches would usually take one full day, but possibly 2 days to see. I was usually out of the hotel by 7am to maximize daylight, and packed lunch like a sandwich because some of these parks don't have restaurants.
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@pezdispenser I want to plan 3-4 weeks of road trip to national parks next year. Can you please explain in more detail about how did you book for hotels while traveling?
 
holy necro thread- and BMbiology! oh another victim of the ban hammer
 
Chrish said:
@pezdispenser I want to plan 3-4 weeks of road trip to national parks next year. Can you please explain in more detail about how did you book for hotels while traveling?
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lol yeah what a necro bump, but I still have fond memories of this trip. For hotels, I just looked on Google maps around the general vicinity that I knew I would be in over the next 3 days. I found this easier to do on a laptop connected to a hotspot on my phone, rather than on my phone directly. Then, some hotels let you reserve without paying upfront if you book on their own website, so this gives you some more flexibility if your plans change.

But beware that I think a lot of national parks now require reservations to alleviate crowding.
 
Pharmacy Kid said:
I was in Australia (Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney) for 10 days and New Zealand for 10 days last year. Melbourne was blah, Cairns was nice, Sydney was the bomb. I did not see one fat person in Australia.
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As long as this thread is warm again: When visiting any touristy spot in New Zealand or any "nearby" Pacific Island, the obese people are either Americans or Australians. It was always fun waiting to hear them talk to see which it was.

I guess I should add: The Western diet has been rough on Maori and other Polynesians (and Melanesians), so I was speaking strictly of Pakeha.
 
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