While it isn't really a vacation, I am really looking forward to this weekend when I will be going down to Chicago for the No Fluff Just Stuff software development conference. The silly name simply reflects the fact the the conference organizers put a lot of effort into packing the most useful and interesting information and speakers into the weekend as possible. I was introduced to this conference through my previous job, where all of the developers were encouraged to attend each year. I asked my new company if they would send me this year and they seemed happy to do so.
I really think that paying for this kind of training and career/skill development is an amazing benefit that a company can provide its employees. I always find that I learn something of value and I certainly get exposed to a lot of new ideas and technologies by attending this show. It seems like a pretty small price tag per person and the return on investment seems quite high. Not only do I come back with some new ideas and new motivation, but I also feel very thankful to the company for investing in my future.
I'm really looking forward to the conference. I will be meeting up with a few of my previous coworkers, so that will be a lot of fun spending time with them. It should be great!
