due to vagaries of work rules and acquisitions I spent 1 year where I took a week off every other month (not over running accrual) followed by a year where I took a week off every month (use it all). I learned then I could retire in a minute. I spent my days reading books, relaxing at the pool, riding the bike trail, watching movie. It was wonderful. It was a great time to explore me, and the world around me.
I like my job just fine. Love the people, enjoy the work. But I don’t live to work, and I’m glad I don’t. In our modern “version-centric” capitalism most of the work most of us do is rendering what we did last year obsolete. If I drew my life meaning from that I’d kill myself, because there’s only sad life meanings there. Even when I have fully and truly loved my job I’ve always loved away from job more, that’s where life gets interesting.
My wife doesn’t take a lot of time off work. She says it’s because she doesn’t “do nothing” well. And it’s true, half the time she takes off work she gets sick, the other times she’s stacked up a massive to-do list so there’s no time for nothing. I “do nothing” very well, because I can always find something to fill that nothing.
I wish I were more like you. But I am goal oriented whether I like it or not.