Hours

It occurred to me the other day that I really enjoy working my own hours. So much so, in fact, that it's been an indirect perk of almost every job I've ever had.

My first job was really easy. In fact, I scrapbooked a year's worth of photos, read 8-10 books, and did a few arts & crafts projects on the clock (my job was pretty dependent on the phone actually ringing, and sometimes nobody would call). It was an office job, so it was 8:30-5, but I could pick my days of the week for the most part (there was one other woman who served in the same position, so between us we made our schedules).

Then I worked as an RA for three years. Aside from the hellish training week and hours during finals weeks, the only set hours I had to work were the weekly meetings. I chose the nights I wanted to be on duty, and the weekends I had to stay in the building. Again, pretty sweet.

There was the summer I spent as a Girl Friday, doing office work and a little babysitting... but I kinda just worked when I wanted. I didn't have a lot of choice, since I didn't get called every day for a job, but if I wanted to have other plans, I could.

I spent two summers working at a camp, and those were real hours. Real as in, 7am-11pm, every day (we generally got Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sunday mornings off... but I was doing a major commute so I wasn't really "off" until 9pm Friday and headed back 8am Sunday). The second summer we got 2 hours off each day. But the first summer was pretty much constant work from wake-up to sleep, and even sometimes middle-of-the-night stuff. Don't get me wrong, I loved that job to death, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

I spent another three semesters as a TA. I was able to choose which section I wanted to handle, and otherwise was only guided by a weekly meeting. Another semester I worked in Research, and only had a weekly meeting to govern me.

There was the year I spent working another easy-peasy job. We only had to go to a meeting once a MONTH, so hours were pretty much whatever.

And then there's my current job. Except for training it's been COMPLETELY whatever-hours-you-want.

I can't say I've ever met anyone else who has had such an easy work schedule. Probably because most people have had either a minimum-wage, part-time job in retail or food service or some other typical-teenage job.... or they've worked for an industry that needs to make use of daylight hours. I hope to have a regular-hours job at some point, since I love routines... but at the same time, it's very nice to take days off whenever I want. It makes traveling ever-so-pleasant. :) and let's not lie, I do enjoy a lot of travel in my life.

anybody else out there never have set working hours?