Monday, May 23, 2011

Business or vacation???

Tomorrow is the big day when I head off to Europe for the summer to write and see some friends. I called to notify my credit card company that I would be over there for the next three months, and the customer service agent said, "Is this business or vacation?" I found this to be quite a perplexing question. Those were the only two options. In the everyday world of normal people, those are the only conceivable reasons for going to Europe, apparently. But this is not a business trip. I don't have a "job" per se. I'm going to write, sure, but I could be doing that anywhere. It's not vacation. Who goes on a vacation for three months? And a vacation from what? Writing? No, I'll be doing that...

This is just another small example of the no-man's land I seem to find myself in on a regular basis. Living an existence outside the societal norm can be a confusing endeavor. I guess I just don't fit inside the box. Oh well, it gives me something to contemplate while I sip my latte in an Estonian cafe. In the end I told the agent it was a "working vacation." I guess she can make what she will of that.

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