How Many Days Away is "Enough"

Nobody should have to give you permission to do whatever you want with your free time, but if what you want to do is nothing - then what?

At the beginning of the month, when I’d just gotten back from Paris - that feels like a lifetime ago, and the entire world feels different - I put out a question on IG about how many days you can travel without your kids before you stop being able to enjoy the quiet and need to run home.

By John McNamee

When I was still working full time with ByGeorge, in Austin, I traveled from LA to Austin for two or three days about once a month. It was a quick trip, always, and jam packed, and right when I was starting to desperately miss my kids, it was time to go home again. But then like clockwork, just when I started to desperately need space, it was time for me to go to Austin. It was a lot of travel, but it was also a nice relief. Since I started working mostly from home, I’ve felt a bit like I needed those regular work trips to feel like myself, but past three days away I would walk home from wherever I was to be with my kids again. The exception was this summer, when I went away with my husband and some friends, and then I didn’t feel such a rush back.

So while I was in Paris, it was amazing! It’s Paris! I was on my own! And for two days I felt amazing - I had great meetings, I saw great things, I saw my friends! But then, bang. Three days - I was sprinting back to LA. And the whole flight back I wondered whether I’m alone in both needing to get away, and hitting a wall at three days.

So I asked!