Urlaubsreif

There is a really great word in German called Urlaubsreif.  It means to be in need of vacation.  Germans love their vacation and of course they actually have a word for this feeling or “condition.”  In English, you need a whole phrase to explain it.  One of the benefits of working in Germany is that most people get 5-6 weeks of vacation every year and Germans make a point of actually using most or all of their vacation.  Supposedly makes them more productive at work.  I get 6 weeks of vacation at Microsoft and I’ve already used some of my vacation this year to go to Hawaii, Hong Kong, Egypt and Iowa/Chicago. I was on the road quite a bit from March to June for work and now I just need a break.  I’m very Urlaubsreif.  I considered staying at home for a couple of weeks and enjoying my apartment in Munich that I very rarely see, but I can’t bring myself to do it.  As you can probably guess, traveling is one of my favorite hobbies.  Exploring some place new corner of the world, meeting new people or simply getting away from the everyday stress just makes me happy.

So what are my up and coming vacation plans?  This weekend I’m off to Zurich.  Will be my first time visiting the city.  In a couple of weeks I’ll be spending the weekend in London with my lovely boyfriend visiting a friend o his.  Haven’t been to London in a couple of year, so will be nice to go back again.  After that I’m off to Thailand for 2 weeks on my own.  I’m not sure what I am doing during those 2 weeks yet, but I’m going to reserve a hotel room in Bangkok for the first couple of night and then just wing it.  Maybe I’ll go to Cambodia and see Angkor Wat.  Maybe I’ll head up to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and take a cooking class.  Or maybe I’ll just head to an island in southern Thailand and find a great beach to relax.  Not sure how the weather will be when I am there.  Probably hot and humid, but I don’t care.  I’m looking forward to the wonderful Thai food and all the Thai massages that I can handle.  Can’t wait!  I was in Thailand back in 2005/2006 and had a wonderful time.  Below are some of my favorite photos from that trip.  You can see the rest of my photos on Flickr.