Camping, Meeting Dad, and the Art of the Buffer Day

Special thanks once again to rojie for today’s prompt. if you haven’t done so already definitely check out her blog justrojie.com

prompts for september 2026

What are your plans for Labor Day?

Historically, I usually don’t make big plans for Labor Day itself. For most of my school years, my first day back to work—specifically the opening day of the new academic year—has always been the Tuesday right after Labor Day. Even on the rare years when I did something on Labor Day weekend, I always made a point of being back home or back in town by Monday. Rather than trying to milk every last drop of summer out of the holiday, I prefer to take the day easy, using it to quietly transition and prepare myself for the marathon starting the next day.

This year, however, things look a little different. School started back this past week, and tonight Sierra and I are heading up north for a day and a half. We’re going up to Grayling to meet her father and stay on his property, camping out through Friday night and all day Saturday before heading back to town Sunday morning. It’s a great way to spend 36 uninterrupted hours with Sierra while also getting the chance to meet her dad.

I know a lot of people will travel over a holiday weekend, trying to milk every last minute out of those four days, only to arrive home Sunday night or Monday evening with just a few hours to unpack, decompress, and gear up for the work week. I definitely need that buffer time, and that’s the real point. I know folks who will travel until the absolute last possible second, but I need time to decompress from the trip and then kind of gather myself up for going back to the real world the next day.

Fortunately, the nice thing about teaching is that at least in most of the schools I’ve worked in, we have a few days to meet as a staff before the kids come in. There’s usually some district-wide professional development or meetings to attend, plus time to work on our classrooms. For me this year, I stayed in the same classroom that I was in last year. In fact, I kept most of my stuff up on the walls, so packing up was minimal. I had just a few totes to set aside, and for the most part, my room—which I’m sharing with Sparky again—looks pretty much the same as it did last year, with a few notable changes.

Having those couple of days of meeting with coworkers and even the district-wide events… I know they do it almost like a pep rally for teachers to try and get us excited about the coming year. And as much as I try to act jaded and cynical about that stuff, it usually works for me. It helps bridge the gap.

Are you a “travel till the absolute last second” kind of holiday traveler, or do you strictly require a buffer day at home to decompress before heading back to reality?

Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Having crossed the 1,000-day milestone, I’m now charting the territory beyond. The mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.

Today’s post is inspired by the WordPress Daily Prompt. While I’ve taken the topic in my own direction for the Road beyond 1,000 Days, you can find more responses to today’s prompt HERE.

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