Contractor Dilema

[Lockhouse]

I have been fortunate enough, that I have not been benched in about 10 years. However, with the typical contractors mentality, that means I have not really taken a long break in 10 years, just the occassional holiday. My wife has said I am getting no younger, and our kids are growing up, aged 9, 6 and 1. She's suggested we take a sabbatical, a year out and have an adventure somewhere. Being the wrong side of 40, and closer to the 50, I am thinking it is suicide, professionally, and that we should stay on the ride until the fairground leaves town. However, that's contractor mentality.

She's suggesting going to North America for a year in a campervan or buying a narrow boat and cruising the canals of europe or backpacking around Asia.

Which one of us is crazy, and if it is me, any other ideas for a year out en famille?

I'd probably go to Bob land for the final month for a spot of plenty cheapness training to get me back in the spirit of things. Or should that be US? Do you think taking a sabbatical would look good or bad? Or do you think I should work while I can, and expect it to dry up soon anyway? My current gig is up next May, which would have the kids closer to 10, 7 and 2, and we want to have the kids settled by the eldests 11th anyway.

Not too sure what to do really.

Do it!!!! Your kids will remember the experience for the rest of their lives and thank you for it. The missus is stuck in a rut and trying to tell you in the nicest possible way she wants a change of scenery, not a change of husband and you've been working your kn*ckers off for 10 years and deserve some decent quality time with all of them.

[oscarose]

Do it!!!! Your kids will remember the experience for the rest of their lives and thank you for it. The missus is stuck in a rut and trying to tell you in the nicest possible way she wants a change of scenery, not a change of husband and you've been working your kn*ckers off for 10 years and deserve some decent quality time with all of them.

WHS+1

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Do it!!!! Your kids will remember the experience for the rest of their lives and thank you for it. The missus is stuck in a rut and trying to tell you in the nicest possible way she wants a change of scenery, not a change of husband and you've been working your kn*ckers off for 10 years and deserve some decent quality time with all of them.

+ 2 (for a shorter break though)

[Scrag Meister]

Little and more often would be my view.

In the last couple of years I've been to Hawaii, New York, France, Copenhagen, Malta (family).

I reckon to budget on working 46 weeks per year.

Am planning a long route 66 type roadtrip on motorbikes in the US with the wife sometime. Trouble is there is always something comes up at home that absorbs any budget I have allocated.

[BrilloPad]

Little and more often would be my view.

+1

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Little and more often would be my view.

In the last couple of years I've been to Hawaii, New York, France, Copenhagen, Malta (family).

I reckon to budget on working 46 weeks per year.

Am planning a long route 66 type roadtrip on motorbikes in the US with the wife sometime. Trouble is there is always something comes up at home that absorbs any budget I have allocated.

Tell me about it. I was starting to get comfortable in my warchest and considered a nice break only to go and buy a house and am now skint

[fullyautomatix]

You could **** off and crawl back under the rock you appeared from.

Just saying, like.

Hmm why ? sounded like a reasonable question to post on here. Unless you think its the sockie of someone.

[Old Hack]

I have neglected to mention I am going to our place in France, and then on around SW France, NE Spain for 4 weeks starting 1st August. I am working some of it, when in situ. We do have breaks, but mainly of the 2 weeks in summer, week in winter type, and we do spend heaps of time doing things as a family.

I am trying to persuade the wife into a road trip across from Toronto to San Diego, but winding our away across and up and down.

[BoredBloke]

I have been fortunate enough, that I have not been benched in about 10 years. However, with the typical contractors mentality, that means I have not really taken a long break in 10 years, just the occassional holiday. My wife has said I am getting no younger, and our kids are growing up, aged 9, 6 and 1. She's suggested we take a sabbatical, a year out and have an adventure somewhere. Being the wrong side of 40, and closer to the 50, I am thinking it is suicide, professionally, and that we should stay on the ride until the fairground leaves town. However, that's contractor mentality.

She's suggesting going to North America for a year in a campervan or buying a narrow boat and cruising the canals of europe or backpacking around Asia.

Which one of us is crazy, and if it is me, any other ideas for a year out en famille?

I'd probably go to Bob land for the final month for a spot of plenty cheapness training to get me back in the spirit of things. Or should that be US? Do you think taking a sabbatical would look good or bad? Or do you think I should work while I can, and expect it to dry up soon anyway? My current gig is up next May, which would have the kids closer to 10, 7 and 2, and we want to have the kids settled by the eldests 11th anyway.

Not too sure what to do really.

Your kids are not 'growing up'...ok technically they are, but that's the sort of thing that you say once they have left school! I fail to see how taking them to the states for a year is going to help them in terms of their education, given 2 of them are still at school.

[northernladuk]

Hence summer holidays is the perfect time.....

Summer holidays don't last a year, what difference does it make?