I’m doing the finishing touches of getting ready for my UK jaunt (London and Ireland) and I’ve realized that I love leaving in the middle of the week. You should always start long trips on a Wednesday or Thursday. If you start them on a Saturday, your Friday is a frantic day of trying to get everything done and THEN final packing. If you start them on a Monday, your weekend is good to finalize plans and packing, but things always come up and you wish you had an extra day.
Leaving Wednesday night is perfect work-wise!
Monday: Remind people you are leaving, get work done. Print out travel details, e-tickets, etc.
Monday Night: Pack.
Tuesday: Finish stuff up, put together “while you’re out” e-mail.
Tuesday Night: Look at what you’ve packed realistically, scale down and add in what you forgot.
Wednesday: Final check-in with work folk, final Is dotted and Ts crossed.
Wednesday Night: Leave!
And then you can plan to come back on a Tuesday or Wednesday, which means you have two short weeks surrounding one long week off. It’s like an extended vacation because you’re only in for a few days and then it’s the weekend again!