The Fisher Files

Along with Peter’s useful advice about vacations, let me add one thing that I have learned the hard way: it is usually not a good idea to mix business trips with family vacations. It might sound appealing to combine a conference with a family vacation because part of the expenses are paid for, but it usually ends up being frustrating because you cannot devote yourself entirely to either purpose. You end up either neglecting your family to hobnob with colleagues, or missing out on informal discussions (often the most valuable part of conferences) in order to spend time with your family. In addition, the logistics of having family come before (or after) the meeting are usually too complicated to make the savings worthwhile.