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You slaved all winter, and made the trek to work each and every week, through snowstorms and bad traffic, and you've got two or more weeks of vacation saved for the sun. So let's get the most out of it! From what I've noticed among my friends and colleagues, there are three definable types of vacationers. There are those that take long weekends, several through the year, those that take a week here and a week there, and there are those who do it all in one go. Each way has it's benefits and each has it hurdles.

The Long Weekender

This person likes short trips, and extra time on the weekend, and typically can't afford to be out of the office for too long because of their responsibilities. By using a day here and a day there, they aren't gone too long and they feel they get more out of their vacation time because they can go on mini-vacations year-round. They do trips up to the ski hill in the winter, and short camping trips in the summer. They take a Monday off when Friday is a statutory holiday so that they get four days for the price of one. Vacation companies are starting to offer more and more weekend getaway packages for these types of travelers because they can afford short trips to not-so-far-away spots. Plus, especially here in Ontario, a lot of families have cottages where they can quickly escape for a cheap, quiet weekend away from the city. Many of these vacationers are also the type who don't like to go anywhere, but need to take the time. They don't particularly plan a big getaway and mostly just like to have an extra few weekends through the year where they don't have to get up early and can stay in their housecoat all day on a weekday.

The Week Here/There

These vacationers know they need time off at different times of the year in order to make it all year or they can't afford to take too much time off in one shot. Maximizing their time away includes waiting for a statutory holiday on a Friday and then taking the next Monday to Friday out of the office so they get a combined ten days away. Doing so twice a year (based on the average two weeks allotted holiday a year) gives them the opportunity to take two big trips and two separate times in the year to get a break. They can get enough time to travel abroad and really experience a big city, or just sit on the beach at a resort — and they could do it twice in one year. For workaholics, there is a little prep in order to be missing for a week but the extra tasks that your co-workers will have to cover are minimal.

All-in-One-Goers

These people try to make it something memorable. They don't typically stay in the city, in fact, they rarely stay in the same country. These vacationers end up somewhere abroad, whether on a multi- city/country cruise, backpacking through Europe, or traveling South America. Two weeks is too long to sit on a beach; it requires more action and a little adventure. They take the kids, they spend a lot of money, but they are out and seeing things and definitely leaving their jobs behind. In a lot of private businesses and fast-paced offices, this type of vacationer can rarely get the opportunity to take one big holiday because the workload is too big or being away for too long will put them behind. And if they can get the two weeks, they usually need to give their employers months of advance notice. Because the time away is so long and the shifted task-load a little more onerous, they can't take this time during the height of vacation season (May-September), but will usually escape in late Fall or early Spring, depending on the type of office/industry.

Whatever type of vacationer you are, and whatever type your colleagues are, make sure you get the most out of your time away. No matter how much money you make or how much you love your job, it's always important to get away and experience something new or just break the cycle for a little bit — we all need a break and a chance to refresh to be better at what we do and how we do it.