travel thoughts

[tielan]

Sydney to Istanbul (via Singapore): don't know if I can get to Vietnam to visit Dad - they may not be taking travellers. Hong Kong isn't. Singapore is.

Istanbul to the UK (London, most likely, with travel either up to, say, Edinburgh or across to somewhere in Wales).

UK to Boston: I have a friend in Boston I haven't seen for a while. Actually, I have a number of friends in the US that I haven't seen for a while, but time is short on this trip.

Boston to Ottawa: I have at least two, maybe three friends in Ottawa who I'd like to see if time and schedules allow.

Ottawa to Vancouver - would really like to do this by train (Montreal to Vancouver) but might be pricey...

Vancouver back home to Sydney.

That's actually a pretty big trip: in the dimension of the old "six week world tours" that I used to do.

If I had to go point-to-point to make it fast, I'd do Sydney to Istanbul, to London, to Ottawa, to San Francisco, to home.

...now I'm wondering if I could ask my bosses for more than four weeks off - a kind of 'last hurrah' of travel before I go permanent and am limited to four weeks a year...

Comments

[velithya]

Is there any harm in asking?

(Also in my experience you can take more than four weeks if you take some of that time unpaid or if you have unused leave from the previous year (unless they just pay it out every EOFY to avoid liabilities I guess)

[tielan]

No harm in asking. I just always feel awkward asking for what I perceive to be a favour... Back when I was taking these trips regularly, I'd actually be between contracts for about six months, and spend two of them travelling (and the remaining four scrambling for a job).

[velithya]

hmm, I guess it could come across as a favour? I wouldn't have ordinarily said it came across that way for, though.
Two months a year travelling sounds amazing! (the scrambling for a job less so, of course ^^;; )

[tielan]

Well, I put the request in. From the sound of it, the major issue is because they don't have anyone to cover my area of work while I'm gone.

The other guy they contracted with the experience and security clearance has ended his most recent contract and gone to work elsewhere.

[velithya]

I hope they can find appropriate cover for you! *crosses fingers*

[rmc28]

If you make it to London I would love to meet up with you there. Or if you want to 'do' Cambridge I can show you round, we're an hour from central London by train.

[tielan]

I would love to meet up with you: London, Cambridge, anywhere! I'd probably fly in and out of LHR because that's just the easiest.

[wpadmirer]

That is a very full trip! I hope that you can do it and have a wonderful time!

[tielan]

It is! I might have to trim it down some (or a lot). I have to admit, I'm thinking I'd like to visit the US again, because I feel like the risk profiles are going to become increasingly worse in the coming years. But I'll ask about the time off and see what they say...