The Only Black Guy in the Office
I Love Time Off, But This Holiday Break Hit Different
Being reunited with work has never felt so good
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
In normal times, my outgoing text messages would be full of optimistic and excited notes to loved ones about the new year. I’d think “2021 is mine,” jotting down the goals and resolutions I had for the next 365. After taking some time to unplug (and maybe even piece together a vision board), I’d return to work recharged. But as much as I want to beam this positivity, I didn’t expect it to be so tough shaking off the bad vibes of last year — and that reality has only become more palpable during the holiday break.
Don’t get me wrong: I consider myself lucky to work for a company with a generous policy for paid time off that includes the final two weeks of the year. But this go-round was rough. “Home for the holidays” kinda loses its magic when you’ve been WFH for the majority of the year. Plus, I hadn’t realized how much the demands of the job had been shielding me from an existential crisis; with nothing keeping me busy, I wound up sleeping through the days and playing video games all night. I can’t believe I’m typing this, but I…
