Single with 16 days of annual leave to take before xmas. what would you do?

[User2018gal]

I am at a loss! I have been on a big holiday this year so dont have money to do trips abroad. but i have some spare cash.

im a bit scared to even take the days off as i just dont know what to do with them!! pathetic isnt it!

any ideas mumsnetters?

that should say 26 not 16!

I was once in a similar situation - I took every single Monday off for the rest of the year, so I could have loads of long weekends. It was bliss!
So in your situation I'd do that - lots of Mondays and Fridays off and finish early before Christmas!

I’d go to Edinburgh for a long weekend for some of it, never been and it looks lovely.

Could you sign up for a once a week course and take a day off a week. Lots of colleges sign up in September. You know learn Italian, brick laying or sign language.
You could go to the course have a lunch out and study/ practice for the rest of the day.

So basically 5 weeks. What's the longest you can take off in one go?

Will they pay you for some of it?

I'd probably do a week a month (Sept, Oct, Nov) and then have a really long Xmas break

Course
Retreat
Redecorate
Kondo your house
Some sort of fitness challenge

Is there anywhere you could do some volunteering?

Or a course you'd love to do? Cookery, health and well-being retreat?

Any work around the house that needs doing? Jobs/things that need doing that you never get round to?

Breaking these up with films at the cinema that you fancy or dvd days, borrowing lots of books from the library, doing your own home spa, visiting friends etc

Yes I would use it to make lots of long weekends.

What about volunteering? There are places that offer ‘working’ holidays doing outdoor things like hedge laying. Meet new people and do good work but you can be as sociable as you like.

I would use the time to declutter and organize my house. Boring, I know, but it’s a task I just can’t seem to manage on evenings and weekends.

Walk the camino de santiago. You'll make friends, walk and do stuff alone if you want to, sleep in cheap dorm accommodation, struggle, suffer, be supported by and offer support to other pilgrims, see amazing scenery and go to little places you'll never see on a normal holiday.

Cheap flights to biarritz, then cheap train to st jean pied de port. Then you just walk. Hostel accomodation from €8 per night.

What about signing up for a day school course? They usually start around this time of year.
At my local college they have 10 week courses, 1 day (10 til 3) per week, in subjects as varied as yoga, patchwork, Asian cookery and dog grooming.
You might make some new friends as well as learning something and using 10 days leave.

Aw I am so jealous I love just taking time off to potter around! You must get loads of holiday if you’ve had a big holiday already and all that lovely holiday left!

I’d probably take a week in December, another week before then sometime, maybe end of September and then use the rest for long weekends.

I would book now before they tell you you can't.
I always have the week before Christmas,it helps you sort out pressies etc so that you can enjoy Christmas.

Inter rail in Italy

Take every Wednesday off to break up the week if you are mon to fri and book extra time off in December to go to Xmas markets and parties

thanks for all the ideas!

interailing alone...i have never done it! would i get lonely?!

love the idea of joining something where i could get to know the community better or a club where i could make some friends. i neve rget the time with work, just not sure where to begin