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Poll: When I go on vacation, I: Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Vicky Nash 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:47
English
| Take my laptop for emergencies... | Aug 22, 2010 |
This has happened to me today - I leave for Greece this afternoon and my best and oldest client has just got in touch and asked if I can do something later this week! Fortunately there will be computer and internet access where I am staying (am just doing some research into whether it has MS Word) and I have outsourced the bulk of the work, but will still have to have a final polishing session!
So typical 
... See more This has happened to me today - I leave for Greece this afternoon and my best and oldest client has just got in touch and asked if I can do something later this week! Fortunately there will be computer and internet access where I am staying (am just doing some research into whether it has MS Word) and I have outsourced the bulk of the work, but will still have to have a final polishing session!
So typical
Vicky
(Edited to remove excessive exclamation marks)
[Edited at 2010-08-22 09:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Natalia Pedrosa (X)
Local time: 00:47
English to Spanish
+ ...
| What's a vacation? | Aug 22, 2010 |
Unfortunately, I have not been on vacation ever since I became a freelance translator, and that's three years ago!
Not enough pay, or just can't let myself go?
Anyway, I hope I can make up for it in really no time.
Cheers to all!
Natalia
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| Only cell phone, without internet access | Aug 22, 2010 |
What's the use of paying for travel and resort pass if you stay wired or even with laptop? You pay to go to the sea and for the hotel, but instead of swimming and basking in the sun you just stay in your suite doing translations? In my opinion it's against common sense.
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| I keep in touch | Aug 22, 2010 |
Translation jobs that let us afford a vacation - no matter how simple - are not those that last about as long as the lightning that illuminated them for us to notice them. These quickies usually come from people who couldn't find anyone fast enough (or cheap enough ) to do them.
So first I advise all my regular clients - as much in advance as I can - when I'll be taking a vacation. Then I either use local cybercafés,... See more Translation jobs that let us afford a vacation - no matter how simple - are not those that last about as long as the lightning that illuminated them for us to notice them. These quickies usually come from people who couldn't find anyone fast enough (or cheap enough ) to do them.
So first I advise all my regular clients - as much in advance as I can - when I'll be taking a vacation. Then I either use local cybercafés, hotel computers for guests, or my wife's netbook (I don't like using noteboooks - never had one myself) to stay in touch with them, so my work in-box won't be starving empty when I return home. However I make it a point not to have the proper equipment with me to work while I'm on vacation. ▲ Collapse
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I send an email to all my regular clients telling them that I am on vacation
My email account sends an automatic reply to possible potential clients or colleagues
I have my smartphone with me, I check emails, and I reply ONLY to those which require an immediate reply (usually once) - which means I check emails ONCE a day (usually early in the morning)
And this is going to happen from next wednesday!
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| Gleefully leave it all behind | Aug 22, 2010 |
I am one of the few here who leaves everything behind. I don't take a laptop or mobile phone. If there is an emergency, there will always be a pay phone around. I always take holidays without having leaving any pending jobs so I make sure I'm finished with everything, and I let my clients know that I'll be on holidays.
Then I simply relax and enjoy my vacation at its fullest.
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Elías Sauza
Mexico
Local time: 16:47
Member (2002)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Same as Gianluca and Cristina | Aug 22, 2010 |
I plan my vacation with as much anticipation as I can, and also advise my regular clients about it with the same anticipation. Then I complete every task and leave without any work pending. I set an OOO message for non clients and then fully enjoy my days off.
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bookwormkt
Local time: 23:47
French to English
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| I take my laptop and netbook! | Aug 22, 2010 |
Actually, they were mainly for my daughters to use when we located wi-fi! I can access the internet on my phone if necessary, but being on holiday with my husband and 3 children and mother-in-law was stressful.........oops, I meant RELAXING enough without work to do
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I don't go to vacations, just staying at home if I get a couple of days off
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Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 00:47
English to French
+ ...
| Gleefully leave it all behind | Aug 22, 2010 |
I send a message to all my (regular) clients to say I will not be available on these dates.
My email account sends an automatic reply to those who had forgotten...
In my case, holidays are an opportunity to do things I cannot do when working: being on the move, socialising, etc.
Connections are scarse in the jungle or the desert
When there are a few "chill out" days at the end of a trek or tour... See more I send a message to all my (regular) clients to say I will not be available on these dates.
My email account sends an automatic reply to those who had forgotten...
In my case, holidays are an opportunity to do things I cannot do when working: being on the move, socialising, etc.
Connections are scarse in the jungle or the desert
When there are a few "chill out" days at the end of a trek or tour, I tend to get bored doing nothing and try to find a connection to keep in touch... ▲ Collapse
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Andrej
Local time: 04:47
Member (2005)
German to Russian
+ ...
| No vacations at all :-) | Aug 22, 2010 |
Natalia Pedrosa wrote:
Not enough pay, or just can't let myself go?
Well, how can I go to vacations if one of my customers send me an urgent project worth 7000 euro? Or if I get a request from another customer and I know that I am the only translator he has with this language pair and I spent a lot of time to build our partnership? There are especially direct customers who have only one translator for each language pair. Thus only some days off from time to time, always with a laptop and/or netbook, always available via mobile phone, always checking mails at least every one or two hours and so on. Almost 15 years. But these efforts are repaid.
PS But one should have healthy life-style to cope with this burden and to be fit.
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| Leave it behind | Aug 22, 2010 |
I were going to away on a real trip, that's that- I'm incommunicado. However, if I'm here and decide I want to take a few days off, I'll handle emergencies if needed.
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Andrea Hauer
Germany
Local time: 00:47
English to German
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.... I take it literally i.e. no work at all ... this is my "private deluxe time" for about 6 or 7 weeks per year.
And I wouldn't abandon it for nothing in the world
[Edited at 2010-08-22 19:45 GMT]
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Anja Weggel
Local time: 00:47
Member (2007)
English to German
| Leave behind | Aug 23, 2010 |
I am fully with Andrea on this... As much as I love my work, there is more to life than translating and I also love to travel, read books and be with friends so when I am on holiday, I am truly away from the office. Having said that, I am lucky enough to have a colleague to cover for me so that regular clients know where to go if they want to. This works really well so I can only recommend it.
Best regards
Anja
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