There's a great line in a Primus song that says, "Funny thing about weekends when you're unemployed.  They don't mean quite so much."  Well, the same thing can very much be said when you're SELF employed.  Some people -- many of whom have never felt the pressure of working live without a net -- often assume that because entrepreneurs are at least nominally their own boss, they work when they want to and vacation when they don't.  Those of us both cursed and blessed to have our names on the door know that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Yes, we have a good deal of flexibility to make our own decisions, but that also means that we don't have the luxury of "turning it off " when we leave the office.  Vacation for us is more of a "working lunch" than anything else.

The harsh reality is that, while we can decide to go where we want and do what we want when we want, that time away is always -- ALWAYS -- a working vacation.  Or, if it's not, it is at best an unpaid leave.  If we're not working, we're not making money.  Period.

One of the great pleasures in my life is traveling with my family.  Thankfully, one of the OTHER great pleasures in my life is running my business.  That said, it would certainly be nice once in a while to be able to turn it off completely.  But, that's not going to happen...and I'm not really complaining.  Or, in the words of another great, Joe Walsh, "I can't complain but sometimes I still do."  :-)

Epic Andy - Lisbon, Portugal