Well, I admit, for the last couple of months I’ve been feeling a little less than enthusiastic about coming to work each day.

Not a full-on “burnt out” feeling, but not as entertained by the daily routine … that’s it, exactly! ROUTINE. My days had become routine, which is not how they normally feel. I’ve always liked the perfect balance of the job’s offering of a relative predictability offset by the adventurous quality of every client being a totally new experience. And lately, it’s been more predictable than adventure.

So truthfully I’ve been spending more time thinking of riding the motorcycle (which I’ve gotten much better at) than about doing nails — even while I’m doing nails.

The subject of how to combat burn-out and get your groove back comes up repeatedly in every forum that addresses working in our industry and, quite frankly, encountering the same list of pat answers and suggestions always makes me feel a little more burned out: “go to a trade show,” “take a continuing education class,” “read a trade magazine” ....

Here’s one: TAKE A VACATION!

I can’t remember the last time someone actually suggested an old-fashionedvacationto me. As in, close the shop, turn off the cell phone, get away from the computer, put your feet up, drink a beer (or beverage of your choice), read a book, go for a walk, take a nap. Do something that is not tax-deductible!

Crazy advice, right?

But I have to say, I left the salon on Thursday afternoon two weeks ago and the BF and I headed to the remotest wilds of the farthest northeast corner of California for a weeklong camping trip.

I lost cell phone reception shortly after turning onto Hwy 299 in Redding, and I didn’t get it back till we got back on the I-5, five days later.

Ahhhhhhhhh. It was freezing cold in Modoc county. I didn’t get to sleep in nearly as late as I’d have liked because I had to get up and stand next to the fire so I didn’t develop frostbite. I spent five days reading a book, cooking in my Dutch oven, wearing the same clothes over and over again and not getting to take a shower... and then there was the hike over the mountain that reminded me it’s been entirely too long since my backpacking days.

I didn’t get to check Facebook or Instagram or Twitter at allfor five days. (I did take my latest issue of NAILSwith me though.)

Let me tell ya, as I was navigating our way back home on Tuesday afternoon (I loved the eight-hour drive too), it hit me: By the time I get back to work, October is going to be HALFWAY OVER! And I have SO many Halloween nail art ideas! How will I ever get to try them all out?! And — OMG! — October is also breast cancer awareness month! And I have SO MANY great ideas for BCA nail art ideas too! I have GOT to get home and get on these nail ideas! Pronto!

My clients are a little taken aback by all the dancing and squealing I’ve been doing when they tell me I can do whatever I want. But I am having a great time back at work! (Which is good, because you know how many hours you have to put in when you get back from a vacation, right?)

So I am here to tell you that when you find yourself feeling a little stale at work — consider a vacation. Something that actually takes you completely away from it all.Vacationsare not tax-deductible!

But they sure are inspiring!