Taking vacations in the summer is stressful, and sometimes downright near impossible. Whether it was a hot summer where you live, or simply a moderate one, chances are that you found it hard to leave the work at the office - assuming you were even able to get away for a few days.

According to William Blades, a professional speaker, consultant, and author, “More than ever before, Americans want more time off. The primary reason we are one of the world’s productivity leaders per worker is not due to robotics. It’s due to the high numbers of hours we work and the low number of vacation weeks we are allocated.”

I long for the vacation when I can leave my cell phone, Blackberry, laptop, and deadlines at the office.

Remember when you used to write the “What I did for summer vacation” paper on the first day back at school? Here’s how mine would sound for the summer of ’07:

I played golf four times, wrote five white papers for a magazine project, interviewed three contractors over the phone, and drank a lot of beer by my father-in-law’s pool in between the crackberry and phone calls. (Bless me Father, for I have sinned.) I also couldn’t get in the pool because I had a severe case of poison ivy the whole week.

That’s what I did for summer vacation. How about you?