Out of Office

I’m traveling this week for a little R&R with the extended Phenix family.  I always debate what to say on my “out of office” because I’d love to give my internal and external clients the full scoop of what’s going on in my world.  However, what I really want to write “may” qualify for over-sharing.

What do you think?

Thanks for your email.  I am out of the country on vacation and I won’t be able to check email very often.

Of course, when I say “out of the country” I don’t mean Europe or Australia or anywhere “overseas.” I mean Canada.  And that doesn’t mean we’ll be taking in the entire country, just a sliver of the magnificent Bow Valley between Calgary and Lake Louise.  Have you been?  Is it not crazy beautiful??!!!  Good grief!  God can be SUCH a show off!!

Anyhow, I don’t have an international plan on my iPhone so even though I’m only in the Mountain Time Zone,  I’ll be disconnected unless I happen to be on wifi.  Even if I DO glance at your email, I probably will resist hitting reply because what if you want to start a conversation?  How long will that take?  And if I reply to you and not your colleague, will they feel slighted?  Will you compare notes?  I know, you probably aren’t giving this “out of office” a second thought because you can now hit “delete” in good conscience and you’ve successfully put the ball in my court.  But still, I HATE having to make you wait. In fact, many times I make people who are SITTING IN FRONT OF ME wait so that I can reply to you.

But not today.  Not this week.  This week I’m playing with the kids, walking on a glacier, and looking for elk.  Email will need to wait.  Thanks for being patient.

No one wants to read a wordy, rambling reply like THAT, but that’s what I feel like writing.  Do you ever feel as though the world requires an explanation for your absence?  Where does that come from?  I have a friend whom I tease about having “an over-developed sense of responsibility,” and I think I might be showing some signs of the disease.

In the end, my out-of-office will be straightforward and boring.  And the world will survive quite nicely without me for the week!  As for my blog, well, I’ve written ahead, so please check in.

How well do you unplug from the office?  Do you unplug entirely?  Or do you sneak a peak? OR are you the person working all of the time giving those who unplug a bad name? Be honest…I’ll check out your reply later!

And seriously, isn’t Banff beautiful?!