| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: On average, how many weeks of vacation do you take each year? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Henry Schroeder 
United States
Local time: 02:20
Member (2002)
German to English
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| If you're a freelance translator, you're always on vacation, aren't you? | May 6, 2015 |
I've never really worked before, just as an English teacher for a few years before I began translating, but I image the only thing worse than office work is the fact that your too tired and too busy socially/shopping to enjoy the weekends on the one hand and don't know what to do with all your free time on vacation on the other.
Organized right, freelance translation avoids all these problems. You pace yourself, have time for alternative projects, can pursue them a little more inten... See more I've never really worked before, just as an English teacher for a few years before I began translating, but I image the only thing worse than office work is the fact that your too tired and too busy socially/shopping to enjoy the weekends on the one hand and don't know what to do with all your free time on vacation on the other.
Organized right, freelance translation avoids all these problems. You pace yourself, have time for alternative projects, can pursue them a little more intensely during time off, and never face the depressing fact that vacation doesn't satisfy you any more than work at the office.
Plus you can pick up your laptop computer and do your work anywhere in the world! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 02:20
English to Spanish
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| Anywhere in the world? | May 6, 2015 |
Henry Schroeder wrote:
Plus you can pick up your laptop computer and do your work anywhere in the world!
I used a laptop as a single computing tool for my independent translation business for a few years: 2002-2008. That was quite a stretch, considering that I traveled with it (and I had a second laptop as a backup system). I even lived as an expat in Argentina with two laptops and worked happily as described by many.
However, using a large laptop (my Windows one was 17 inches; I still have my 17-inch MacBook, though) gets old after a while. And heavy. And unreliable if your laptop's hard drive goes kaput on you. Never mind the troubles if your laptop dies on you and you are in some developing (or underdeveloped) country with dodgy computer service. No warranty service to speak of.
I changed my operating model in 2011: a desktop Windows PC, a supplemental Windows notebook and my trusty MacBook.
Plus, a laptop is not as upgradeable as a desktop. But it all depends on how you like to work, that's all.
| | | | Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 02:20
Portuguese to English
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| What is this "vacation" of which you speak? | May 7, 2015 |
I'm a single parent.
I'm lucky if I get 1 week every 2 to 4 years.
[Edited at 2015-05-07 00:52 GMT]
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In the last 4 years I've taken 3 and a half weeks off: two trips to Maine and one trip to Norway. I'm thinking of going to Greece for a week this year.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 08:20
Spanish to English
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Nothing set in stone. This week is quiet, so I'm taking the opportunity to do other, non-work related things. Even when on holiday per se, I tend to accept work from my regular clients anyway.
PS: I don't think I would feel the same about time off if I worked in an in-house situation. In previous jobs, vacations and free time seemed more important and I can remember desperately longing for the summer holidays to come around, in a similar way to when I was at school. However, freelan... See more Nothing set in stone. This week is quiet, so I'm taking the opportunity to do other, non-work related things. Even when on holiday per se, I tend to accept work from my regular clients anyway.
PS: I don't think I would feel the same about time off if I worked in an in-house situation. In previous jobs, vacations and free time seemed more important and I can remember desperately longing for the summer holidays to come around, in a similar way to when I was at school. However, freelancing is different and I don't really feel so much need of time off or a change of scenery. For the moment, I'm happy with the way things are and don't really feel I'm missing out on anything.
[Edited at 2015-05-07 07:14 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tuulia Tipa
Germany
Local time: 08:20
English to Finnish
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| Unbelievable answers, and unbelievable categories | May 8, 2015 |
I mean, 4 weeks? Where's the option for 6, 8 or 10 weeks?
I like my work. But I also like to do other things. I have two small children, and I like to spend a lot of time with them. And my friends. And my husband. Go wwoofing and other types of "alternative travelling"... Write a book perhaps one day. Learn new things.
I just counted, and in a year it probably adds up to 10 weeks.
| | | | Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 02:20
English to Spanish
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| About 5 weeks | May 27, 2015 |
Which is A LOT here in Chile, where people with traditional jobs get only 3 weeks of vacation per year.
And I DO mean vacation: no laptop, no checking e-mails, no work, nothing.
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