Don & Ritzy Do West Malaysia and Singapore

I don’t mind telling you, it’s been a hell of a year.  Both Jen and I have survived a rather challenging twelve months in our careers and we will gladly see the back of 2012.  We’ve both had it pretty good up to now and have stayed at our respective companies for fourteen years combined.  But this year, for whatever reason, the shit hit the fan in Queensland and both of our offices were hit with massive redundancies.  My office can accommodate 200 people across two floors.  There’s now 35 of us on one floor.  Jen’s office also cut their staff by the hundreds.

Although we’re both grateful that we’ve kept our jobs, one of the lingering effects of work life after massive cutbacks is that for the first time that I can remember, I had my application for annual leave rejected.  Jen and I had planned a trip to the States in September but I couldn’t get the time off.

I think things should settle down next year and I’ll plan that trip another day but for now, I get a little weary of facing the office.  So I live vicariously through moments like when I get holiday emails from my parents.

I admire many qualities in my mum and dad and one thing I am particularly envious of nowadays is the cool things they get up to in their retirement.  They seem to perennially be planning their next trip, exploring their surroundings and never staying still.  They seem to make the very most out of the hours in the day.

Their most recent trip was to Singapore and West Malaysia.  The photos of the trip look incredible.  For one, there are castles and space gardens from the future that I didn’t know existed in South East Asia.  And then when I read the emails they write me with the notes from their travels, I can see they really immerse themselves in their research and learn about the history behind the buildings, the people and the culture of the towns and villages that they’re exploring.

I don’t know about you but when I get up at 6 am tomorrow, I’m going to read the news for half an hour, have breakfast then get ready for work.  But last night, I spent a good hour poring over photos and reading emails, thinking about what I’d like to do for my next holiday.