It’s not ever fun when you have to go back to work after a vacation. That was the case with me on Monday. After enjoying my weeklong break from the newsroom, I feel refreshed, but I still wish my vacation could go on a little bit more.

I was not alone in that feeling. Students and teachers went back to school Monday to begin a new year, but I know that they wish they could still be on summer break.

The reason why I know is because I have teachers in my family. My mother, brother and sister are all teachers. Last week, my mom told me that school is interrupting her vacation. I guess in my case, it is work interrupting my vacation.

Granted, my vacation was not as long as those of my friends and family in education. Some days, I wish I could go back to the schedule I had during school when we got almost three months of a break during the summer, but I have to work. If I don’t work, I don’t eat – at least that’s the way the old saying goes.

Although on my vacation, I really didn’t stop working too much, but it wasn’t the same kind of work I do everyday. Instead of doing my usual writing and layout of the newspaper, I helped with jobs including trying to fix a toilet, change light fixtures, move a TV, fix a garage door, tried to get computers to work and cut grass. (By the way, we weren’t successful at trying to stop the leak in the toilet.)

Even though I can do some repairs around the house, I know that I don’t need to quit my day job.

While it’s good to work, you need a good break from your job every now and then. It’s good to take a trip out of the area and go see family you haven’t seen lately. Just getting a change of scenery is nice.

You might not stop working on a vacation, but at least it’s not the same routine you’re always used to doing everyday. That’s why vacations are so helpful.