Career Break... Tick!

So, we now have a caravan, and to pay for it, we are going to have to sell Dear Husband's boat.  So this is SERIOUS.  It's really going to happen. 

OK.  So.  Probably a good time to ask for the time off work, right?

For a conservative and low maintenance (Ok, DH would say I'm more 'medium maintenance' if there was a maintenance scale) person such as me, this was going to require of me to draw attention to myself and ask for something quite significant.  In the words of my darling mum, I was about to become a 'burden'.  Arrgh!

So, I set myself a deadline for when I would approach my boss, and shared the deadline with DH, just to make it less elastic than I might be tempted to make it.  On the DAY that I am about to enter the boss's office to discuss the lunacy that lies ahead, she is unexpectedly offsite!  Gulp.

Ok, it's ok...  It gives me a whole weekend to stress about it a little more and a another couple of slow journeys in the car through Auckland traffic to practice my speech.  (Which I had written on a small card.  Oh no, there are no bounds to my geekdom.)

Trying again on the Monday.  I lync the boss to see if she's free.  She is.  I fly to her office door and enter.

I recite my well-rehearsed speech about the precious boy growing up too fast, about the 5 year plan, about the arduous 25 years of work that still lies ahead and the deep desire to do something amazing as a family.

Without batting an eyelid, my boss replied:  "Oh, you HAVE to!!"

Uh, you WHAT now?  Really?  Wow! 

Just to be sure, I threw a pre-practiced line in there to make sure I hadn't misheard...  "Is that something the company, nay, YOU, would support me with?"  (Because it would be awkward if she thought I was resigning and that's why she seemed so delighted for us!)  And NO, it was not a dream, my amazing work supported me taking a 5 month career break, and this thing is ON!