B and C Vacations
I give complete credit of this idea to our friends Michelle and Kevin. I think it is a great way to look at the type of intermissions that we take. They explained to me that they plan two types of vacations. "B Vacations" and "C Vacations." A "B Vacation" is where they go to just relax, take it easy and "be." A "C Vacation" is where they go to "see" things, run from place to place, play hard, etc.
Sometimes it is important to have "Be Vacations" for just recharging our batteries. If we are run down and end up taking a "See Vacation" then we can sometimes come back to work in worse shape than we left. We have all returned from an intermission stating that we need a vacation from the vacation.
Another variation on the theme is to schedule a vacation with the first half being the "see" part and the second half being the "be" part. Take a few days at the end of your vacation to relax, rest your feet and unwind before heading back to your normal routine. You will return from your intermission with renewed energy and ready to tackle the other acts in your circus.