Vacation Time is Necessity

I just returned from a two-week trip overseas, and I can say with full confidence that vacation time is not just a luxury, it is a necessity. In our world of constant demands, shifting priorities, and never-ending emails, stepping away is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. Time off gives us balance, joy, and space to remember who we are outside of parking metrics and deadlines. For me, happiness is travel and I enjoy exploring new places, taking pictures, and experiencing how other places and cultures move, live, and breathe.

It's funny how even when I’m “off duty,” I am still looking at all things parking related. I think once you work in this field, you never really stop seeing it. It becomes this habit of noticing how parking is managed in any new city, state, or country and everything somehow connects back to curb space, signage, and how people arrive and leave. While most people’s travel photos are full of monuments, scenery, and food, mine also include some random ones of parking signs, pay stations, underground garages, or some clever piece of technology only another parking professional would appreciate.

It may seem like a quirky habit, but it comes from natural curiosity. I notice how parking is priced, enforced, signed, or sometimes completely ignored. I catch myself wondering, “Why did they design the sign like that? How does their mobile payment system work? Would this solve headaches back home? What vendor provides this equipment?” When I return to work, I usually have screenshots, photos, and new ideas. I’m sure my team would prefer a keychain or some local chocolate instead of another picture of a pay-by-plate kiosk, but they humor me anyway.

What I’ve come to realize, is that travel and time away do not take us away from our profession. They give us perspective on it. It reminds us why we do what we do and why, despite everything, we love it. Parking isn’t always easy. It is full of challenges, complaints, constraints, and constant problem-solving. But it is also evolving, creative, and never boring.

In the end, this profession asks a lot of us. It requires patience, problem-solving, resilience, and a sense of humor. That is exactly why taking time away matters. In fact, it helps us return with clearer minds, renewed passion, and maybe a few odd pictures of parking meters mixed in with the sunsets and cathedrals. Whether your version of a break is a trip overseas or simply choosing to unplug at home, give yourself permission to take it. Parking will still be here when we return, and we will be better prepared to meet its challenges rested, inspired, and a little more ourselves.