What would you do with a free 6 months?

Get a decent bike and cycle around the entire coastline of Great Britain, and hopefully lose the belly in the process. Then, depending on how much time is remaining, grab my passport and bugger off.
 
it's an interesting question.

my lockdown experience has mostly consisted of bugger all, but the reason being was that not only could i not leave the house but i had no idea (and still have no idea) when i could get back to normal work. therefore you're hesitant to commit yourself to anything too long term in case you don't get finished in time. hesitant to spend money on hobbies just in case things get worse.

if i'd had some certainty at the start, knew exactly how long i had, then it would have made it much easier to commit to a longer term project.

of course time isn't the only factor here, and money plays a big part even assuming you don't have the constraint of working around everywhere being shut.

a big help would at least being able to see friends/family, bunch of good projects me and a friend could have been at with this time but I've been keeping away because he's in the vulnerable category.
 
Yadda said:
If I had the chance, I'd like to spend time walking and fishing the rivers of Meirionnydd, where my late father, who was very keen fisherman, grew up. Just me and a bivvie, it would be bliss.
Click to expand...

...and once mended, off somewhere to dance the nights away with senoritas who can sway (not Rhyl).
 
6 months off paid and no pandemic? Ride a motorbike around the world (the bits I choose to, at least). Cliched, but I've love to do it.

As to my lockdown experience, I've been working. People kept asking if I was enjoying the sunny weather - it looked nice through the windows of my home study and office...
 
All depends on the budget I had available I guess. But 6 months touring the US and Canada sounds like a plan to me.
 
I am actually in a similar situation but with around 2 months to play with.

For context I am in Qatar and work finishes today. I am due back on the 23rd of August but the entry requirements back into the country are crazy requiring a 2 week quarantine at a designated hotel at your own cost. So a 2k bill when you get back plus flights of around 3k means returning to the UK for a month and a bit (taking into account UK quarantine) is going to cost 5k!

So instead I bought a car and going to spend the next 7 and a bit weeks touring the country, seeing beaches, camping in the desert and generally having fun with my wife and kid. It will probably get boring eventually but I am really looking forward to it!
 
jaybee said:
Define "free 6 months". Free of work? Free of kids? Free of wife and kids? Combination? All? How much money to spend?

My lockdown has been spent home schooling children combined with working my normal IT job remotely. It's been exhausting and a complete contrast to how some have described it as practically paid holiday.

If I had a real 6 months "free" (without having come into a load of money) then I would probably just aim to get get my todo list done. I reckon 6 months might just be enough to complete it. :)
Click to expand...

This.

Whilst working from home certainly has it's benefits, trying to fit a normal working day and normal school day into the same 8 hours is basically impossible, so I've ended up working longer hours to make up the time. That along with the fact we've been extra busy at work due to having to make urgent adjustments to our software to cater for furlough schemes, MOT extensions etc. and supporting our customers who are now also working from home, and juggling all of the above with a baby in NICU has been hard work! I'd be happy with 6 days off, never mind 6 months!

To answer the question though, I'd finally get the house & garden decorating finished, and maybe try to do some freelance contract work to earn a few extra ££ to buy toys with :D

Unfortunately living in Birmingham means no real countryside within quick & easy travel distance, which is why - when this is all over - I'm planning to speak to work about potentially working from home full time (or at least 3+ days a week), and moving somewhere a bit more rural (Welsh coast is appealing!)
 
Perhaps this is a really selfish, pathetically bitter thing to say, but I will forever be annoyed that I wasn't in a furloughed job. Literally had to work constantly over these past 4 months. Not just that, but it's been far harder then it usually would have been (screening coordinator for maternity). It is extremely rare that I take time off to do anything more then sit at home and chill the **** out with the GF. 4 months of that would have been a real dream I think. The list of things I want to watch/play/ do around the house is damn near bottomless.
 
DrToffnar said:
Perhaps this is a really selfish, pathetically bitter thing to say, but I will forever be annoyed that I wasn't in a furloughed job. Literally had to work constantly over these past 4 months. Not just that, but it's been far harder then it usually would have been (screening coordinator for maternity). It is extremely rare that I take time off to do anything more then sit at home and chill the **** out with the GF. 4 months of that would have been a real dream I think. The list of things I want to watch/play/ do around the house is damn near bottomless.
Click to expand...
You should be extremely grateful that you are not one of tens of thousands who have already been totally laid off, into a now very tough market. I have had my contract ended due to this situation, had to sort another one and luckily have worked something out, but i'll be 30-40k/year down post transition.....my wife is also probably 20-30k down through this. People who have not seen interruption should not be complaining, a lot of us have taken quite a hit! :)
 
Last edited:
Jez said:
You should be extremely greatful that you are not one of tens of thousands who have already been totally laid off, into a now very tough market. I have had my contract ended due to this situation, had to sort another one and luckily have worked something out, but i'll be 30-40k/year down post transition.....my wife is also probably 20-30k down through this. People who have not seen interruption should not be complaining, a lot of us have taken quite a hit! :)
Click to expand...

How much sympathy we have will depend on how much you'll be earning on your new contract.
 
Direct the sympathy to the tens of thousands finding themselves totally out of work then if you'd rather, right down to retail and factory workers, etc :) The point is the same....
 
Worked all the way through however if I had a paid 6 months, DIY, golf, reading and travel.
 
And I am sure that you would agree with the point, this has had more impact to a lot of people than just not getting some free time off :)
 
6 months.
Money no objection then Japan and new Zealand for that time.
Money problems,lots of walks with the camera.


Quarantine then probably a new patio with the missus 'helping' with the foundations...
 
checjb said:
I'm in that situation as I took voluntary redundancy at the end Feb, just in time to get locked down. I've spent it learning to be a sparky. Just waiting for the test centre to reopen so I can do my theory exams and then the required practical work.
So, even if I don't go back onto the same career path as I was on, I'll have a trade or useful skills at the end.
Click to expand...

what study material did you use? Can you do it just from the regs?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom