Type A on Holiday

I have never held summer holidays to be de rigueur. Rather, I can remember many a summer perched atop an empty East Village bar, sipping a warm Corona whilst the social scene of New York City flitted about in the Hamptons. And that is not meant to sound self pitying, rather holiday deprivation is quite a common condition in the U.S. With only 10 days average annual leave a year, it becomes very easy for Type A Personality people (which defines 99% of New Yorkers) to neurotically fester without so much as a long weekend away.

A key characteristic of Type A sufferers being they are simply rubbish at relaxing. We are unnerved when doing nothing for a period of time. You will rarely find us in a Yoga class, for instance. Excessive tranquility makes us anxious. Well that and, for me, the sight of men in bare feet. (But we have covered that previously).

And it is as a New Yorker in London that I have found myself in this competing construct with 25 days holiday a year to burn. Yes, that's right, to burn. To Type A's, any long period spent idle would be considered burnt not spent, because to spend something you must exert energy towards a defined aim. But burning, as such, requires minimal personal exertion and has an unpredictable result. Or, that's how we see it anyway.

Type A's hear of extended holidays and think that must be how the lazy half lives. Their indolence becomes raison d'être for our endurance. But no more, I have since long cast off those Type A chains. And with only one-third of my holiday allotment left, I have hardly held back.

So c'mon, unshackle yourself, and enjoy the best of what is left. Because even if you can't take two weeks out, you can certainly skive off early when the boss has. For the latest free (and decidedly trendy not touristy) London festival check out:

Priceless - Explore the Treasures of Exhibition Road
Date: 7 – 27 August, Venue: Exhibition Road, SW3

For three weeks, the streets of South Kensington turn into a living, breathing art gallery. Guided walks, audiovisual portraits, mobile exhibitions and graphic installations take over the streets, galleries and museums in, around and beneath Exhibition Road.

Times: Daily, 10am – 5pm, Free

For more information: www.motiroti.com