Author: Emmy Horstkamp

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Do Not Take a Work Phone | 30 Day Vacation Prep

Note:  I take a vacation phone and buy an unlimited SIM for the phone.  Even with this strategy, I run out of data and sometimes have to buy additional data.   In the United States, the SIM I purchased from Europe was unlimited data which cost around 60 dollars.   Use an old unlocked phone and leave your other phones at home.

Spend today working on what you need to have from work desk and work phone on your vacation phone and make a note in your binder that you do not have your work phone with you on vacation.

The Ultimate Travel Hack: Offline Maps

The single best way to save data is to download your destination maps over Wi-Fi before you leave your hotel room. Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, and select Offline maps. Tap Select Your Own Map and move the square over the city or region you’re visiting. Your phone will use the saved map on your storage instead of downloading it over the air. You still get turn-by-turn driving directions and can search for addresses without using a single kilobyte of data.

You won’t get live traffic updates or alternate “faster” routes unless you turn your data back on.

Do Not Use the Satellite View

If you like seeing the actual rooftops and trees while you drive, you are using roughly 10x more data than the standard “Map” view. To fix this,  tap the “layers” icon in the diamond stack on the map and ensure it is set to Default rather than Satellite. Standard navigation uses about 5MB per hour; Satellite can easily jump to 50MB+ per hour.

Activate WIFI Mode – Purchase WIFI Pass

Google Maps has a specific setting that forces the app to only use your downloaded offline maps, even if your cellular data is turned on for other apps. Tap your profile picture > Settings > Toggle on Wi-Fi only. This prevents the app from “checking in” with servers constantly for minor updates.  Xfinity has a US network pass that costs under 15 dollars a month.

4. Watch the Data Drain

Often, it isn’t just Google Maps eating your 50GB—it’s the apps running in the background while you navigate. 

Background App Refresh: Disable this in your phone settings for social media and video apps. They often “pre-load” videos while you’re driving so they’re ready for you to watch later.

Photo Syncing: Ensure Google Photos or iCloud is set to not back up photos/videos over cellular. If you take 4K videos of your vacation, they could eat through several gigabytes in minutes.

Leaving the Personal Hotspot OFF – Be Careful. I left on my personal hotspot and my computer decided to use my phone data instead of my Xfinity plan. Now, I have 20 days of slow speed phone but a fast internet from Wifi. If you want to only buy one SIM, you can take your regular phone and keep the personal hotspot on and let the other phone use blue tooth to access social media and other fun apps not on the SIM phone.

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Create a Desk Philosophy | 30 Days to Vacation | Detox

 

Away from your Desk Binder, Create a Desk Philosophy. An example is below:

The Mandate – Why Does Your Job Exist – Your Job Description

Our mission is not merely to maintain uptime, but to ensure the continuity of the institution. We view our technical stack as a modern monument—built with the precision of an architect and the foresight of a historian.

The Core Pillars of Your Job

1. Integrity of My Desk

Example: “We do not build for the next quarter; we build for the next decade. Every project must reflect my personal Standards: clean, documented, and resilient. My desk represents functional Systems not Quick Fixes.

2. Digital Stewardship

My desk is the guardians of certain data and digital legacy. My desk treats security not as a feature, but as a matter of protection of corporate intellectual property and processes. If the data proprietary, my desk is a vault.

3. The Protocol of Innovation

Innovation must be purposeful. My desk does not chase trends for the sake of novelty or a Kudos or a raise. My desk adopts new technology when it strengthens my projects, my desk, my department or enhances the efficiency of maintaining proprietary information and corporate culture.

Code of Conduct Around my Desk

  • Precision over Speed: A mistake is a crack in the foundation of my Vault. My desk measures twice before implementing.
  • Invisible Excellence: The highest form of work from my desk is that which the department notices because it functions flawlessly and is missed when I’m away.
  • Ownership: My desk resolves problems. Every person interacting with my desk is treated as a client and their work is respected as theirs and my work is mine. Our work together is ours.

Archiving and Auditing of Data

  • The Archive: Every major project once completed is entered into the Permanent Digital Record of the corporation to avoid brain drain.
  • Auditing : My desk does not blame others for my mistakes. My desk treats failures as historical lessons to be documented and avoided. Major mistakes are shared with the Public Relations and legal departments for auditing and documentation.

-End of Desk Philosophy –

Edit this for your desk, print it and put it in your I’m away from my desk binder.

Are you Detoxing your body for Vacation? Here is a menu to follow.


Breakfast: One cup of rice or a regular sized bowl of rice with an egg and margarine with olive oil.   A cup of coffee with milk. The combination of milk and rice gives you the amino acids you need to rebuild and repair your body.  The margarine helps remove toxins from your bloodstream and fat layer.  The coffee helps burn fat.  You will get used to not having a sweet breakfast but  your brain needs glucose/sugar and that can be added to your coffee. 


Lunch: Repeat or have something else. During Detoxing, your body hates getting rid of chemicals, it is safer for the body to keep them stored in your fat.  If you feel sick, it may be those chemicals being released from medicines and other digested toxins.  If you were a heavy drug user, please contact your doctor.  Side effects from those drugs may appear when detoxing and you may want to have your doctor monitor your blood as you detox.    

Dinner: Cup of Rice and vegetables

For medical advice, please contact a doctor. The health coaching information provided in this post is educational only. I am not your personal health coach but work with your doctor to keep you healthy. Health Storey Coaches request all clients to have a baseline exam with their doctor to make sure they are healthy enough to detox. If you are sick with any serious illness, detoxing must be with a physician monitoring. If you are healthy, make sure your doctor agrees.

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Template for Out of the Office Binder | Begin 30 Days to Being Away Detox |

Out of Office Binder

1. The “Big Picture” Calendar

• Duration: Time gone from office.

• Key Deadlines: [Insert specific dates for reports, filings, or launches].

• Meetings: List recurring invites and assigned leads.

2. The Handover Map

• Topic A: [Colleague Name] — [Email]

• Topic B: [Colleague Name] — [Email]

• Topic C: [Colleague Name] — [Email]

3. Project Status Sheets

• Project Name: [Insert]

• Status: Green / Yellow / Red

• Next Steps: [First action item upon departure]

• File Path: [Shared Drive Location]

4. SOPs & Vault

• Logins: [Location of Password Manager]

• Software Guides: [Links to internal Wiki or PDFs]

• Workarounds: [Tips for specific client quirks or technical bugs]

5. Contact Directory

• Vendors: [Name] — [Phone/Email]

• Clients: [Name] — [Phone/Email]

6. Emergency Protocol

• Actual Emergency: [Define specific scenarios, e.g., legal issues, data breach].

• Who to Call: [Supervisor Name/Contact].

• Trail Contact: [Satellite Messaging Info, if applicable].

8. Financial & Tax Calendar (Self-Employed S-Corp)

• Quarterly Estimated Taxes: Check if a Form 1040-ES or State payment is due (typically April 15, June 15, or Sept 15).

• Payroll: If part of your job, ensure your owner-draw or salary payroll is scheduled/automated.

• Annual Reports: Verify if your Secretary of State annual registration is due.


• Insurance: Confirm professional liability/malpractice insurance is set to autopay.

This is for the whole week. If you want to feel less stressed at work while prepping for vacation, spend this month stress detoxing by reducing the amount of junk food.

We will be eating steamed rice, margarine with olive oil, eggs and three to four cups of coffee with real milk and sugar.

All these ingredients help build up your immune system and detox your adipose layer.

For thirty days, you will eat vegetarian friendly foods to reduce exposure to extra chemicals and toxins found in processed meats etc.

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Normal Work Meeting Frequency in the USA | Lent Prep | Easter Prep |

Standard Meeting Cadences

Meeting TypeFrequencyPrimary Purpose
1:1 (Manager/Report)Weekly or Bi-weeklyCareer development, roadblocks, and personal check-ins.
Casual Water Cooler MeetingDaily (15 mins)Quick tactical alignment: “What did I do, what will I do, Issues?
Team Staff MeetingWeeklyHigh-level project updates & department news.
Project SyncWeekly or Bi-weeklySpecific look into a live project with a cross-functional group.
Monthly All-HandsMonthlyCompany-wide transparency, big wins, and long-term strategy positive meeting – never negative.
RetrospectivePost-Project or QuarterlyReviewing what went well and what needs to change for the next project.

For Home life, I have been sharing content on this blog for family relationship dynamics.

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Budget Talks at Work | Lent Prep | Easter Prep |

Workplace budget discussions are about alignment, ROI (Return on Investment), and transparency. The rules change depending on who you are talking to about money.

For the CEO: The Vision & The “Why”

The CEO isn’t usually in the weeds of line-item expenses; they focus on the “big picture.”

  • Rule: Strategy First. When the CEO talks budget, it should be tied to the company’s 12-month or 5-year goals and your specific projects in relationship to those items.
  • Rule: Radical Transparency (Within Limits). To build trust, a CEO should share the health of the budget without sharing confidential data.
  • Rule: They are the CEO. A CEO must own unpopular decisions. If a bonus pool is cut, the CEO delivers the news rather than delegating it to HR staff or consultants.

For Admins: The Gatekeepers & Accuracy

Admins are the “ground truth” of the company’s spending. They see the receipts.

  • Rule: Strict Confidentiality. Admins often see what executives are spending on travel or client dinners. The rules are set by HR. Spending is monitored by software and receipts provided. Don’t bully the Admins or expect them to lie for you. Your email accounts and phones are most likely owned by the business and are admissable in court.
  • Rule: Documentation is King. Admins are not evil. They are busy doing paperwork and making sure projects are looking professional through editing, and consistent formatting and following corporate standards. If a receipt is missing, the rule is the same for the Intern as it is for the VP and is set by the accounting department.
  • Rule: Proactive Reporting. Admins should alert managers to “budget creep” before a department goes over its limit, not after. This protocol is set in place by accounting and project managers.

For Staff: Stewardship & Justification

For general employees, the budget is a tool they use to do their jobs.

  • Rule: Treat It Like a Precious Commodity. What is the ROI of your spending?
  • Rule: “No Surprises” Communication. If a project is going to go $1,000 over budget, the staff member must flag it the moment they realize it—not when the invoice arrives.
  • Rule: Contextualize Requests. Explain why you would like to spend more money and the Return on the expense.

For Clients: Value & Predictability

Talking money with clients is about building a partnership.

  • Rule: No Hidden Fees. Every potential cost should be disclosed in the initial contract. Surprising a client with an extra $500 fee is a fast way to lose a $50,000 account.
  • Rule: I’m the Expert Rule. When a client asks why your budget is high explain the value of your work and your expertise.
  • Rule: Extra Work Rule. If a client asks for extra work, the rule is: “I’d love to do that; let me send over a quick estimate of the costs for the extra work so we can adjust the budget.
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Update Schedule for Work | How Often to Update

Good Jpg to send to co-workers. Send the boss a work related image from your files. Presentation deck image.

Checking in with Your Boss

  • Frequency: Weekly or Bi-weekly using an email Format.
  • The Strategy: Instead of asking “What do you need from me?”, send a “Wednesday update via email. Briefly list projects, benchmarks and pain points you are having. This proactively answers some questions and keeps them up to date for their meetings and management duties.

Checking in with Colleagues/Peers

This is about coordinating and completing goals.

  • Frequency: Daily or every few days
  • The Format: Project management tools .
  • The Strategy: Use specific texts like, “Hi! I’m planning to start my portion of the report on Thursday—are we still on track to have the data by Wednesday afternoon?” This gives them a deadline and a reason for your inquiry.

Checking in with Other Departments

This is about milestones. Since you don’t work with them directly, you want to be mindful of their internal deadlines.

  • Frequency: Once a month or at specific Project Milestones where they may need data for Kudos.
  • The Format: Email or a designated intranet communication channel.
  • The Strategy: The “Early Warning” system. Ask for updates before you need the information. If you need something by Friday, give them a week. This accounts for their busy schedules and prevents you from being frantic at the last minute looking for data.

Summary Checklist for Workplace Updates

StakeholderRecommended FrequencyBest ChannelTone Tip
BossWeeklyEmail UpdateProactive & Concise
PeersEvery 2–3 daysIntra-office CommunicationCollaboration-focused
DepartmentsMonthly / MilestoneEmailDirect & Deadline-driven
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Making a Binder for Work Focused on You Being Away

Create an “I’m Away from My Desk” Binder. You can use this Jpg.

What to include:

An “Out of Office Bible” is the greatest gift you can leave your colleagues. If it’s thorough, they won’t feel the need to try and “find” you on the trail, and you won’t spend your first week of hiking wondering if the office is on fire.

Since you’ll be gone for 90 days, this binder needs to be a standalone manual. Here is exactly what to include:

Binder Section 1: The “Big Picture” Calendar

This is a high-level visual of the time you are gone.

  • Key Deadlines: Highlight anything due in your absence (reports, tax filings, project launches).
  • Recurring Meetings: List the ones you usually lead and who is covering them.
  • Your Return Date: Mark your “Soft Return” (catch-up days) and “Hard Return” (ready for meetings).

Binder Section 2: The “Who’s Who” (The Handover Map)

Create a simple table so colleagues know exactly who is the “New Emmy” for specific topics.

  • Topic A: [Colleague Name] — e.g., “Invoicing and Billing”
  • Topic B: [Colleague Name] — e.g., “Client X Relationship”
  • Topic C: [Colleague Name] — e.g., “Social Media Posting”

Binder Section 3: Project Status Sheets

Dedicate one page to each active project. Use a Stoplight Status system:

  • Green: Running smoothly; just needs monitoring while I’m away
  • Yellow: Action required by [Date]. I won’t be here to work on this.
  • Red: Needs immediate attention or has a major bottleneck. Extension applied for just in case.
  • Next Steps: “The very next thing that needs to happen for this project is…”
  • No extra digital files available. Check my work file for documents.

Section 4: The “How-To” Vault (SOPs)

Don’t assume people know your “invisible” tasks. Include Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for:

  • Logins: Where to find group passwords (use a company vault like LastPass if possible).
  • Software: Any niche tools only you use or available on your work computer.
  • The “Workarounds”: “If the printer jams this specific way, do this…” or “This client prefers phone calls over emails.”

Section 5: External Contact Directory

A list of vendors, clients, and partners you interact with that will talk to other people.

  • Name & Company
  • Email & Phone
  • Context: “They usually call on Tuesdays for the weekly update.”

Section 6: The “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” Page

Define what an actual emergency is.

Example: “If a client cancels a contract, call my supervisor [Name]. If the building is physically flooding, call [Maintenance]. Do NOT attempt to contact me on vacation except through the police department. [Specific Dire Scenario].”

Pro-Tips for the Binder

  • Digital & Physical: Keep a physical binder on your desk, but email a PDF version to your team members and boss so they can search for keywords.
  • The “Table of Contents”: Make it the first page so they don’t have to hunt.
  • Post-it Notes: If you have physical files on your desk they might need, flag them with Post-its or leave them with an admin on her desk.
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Calendar Update | Giving a Heads Up at Work | Example: Trefuly is Hiking for the Summer

Upcoming Calendar Note: Temporary Hiatus for the Summer

I’m writing to share a quick update regarding my schedule. I will be taking a leave of absence for the Summer to work on my goal to finish the AT Trail. During this time, my usual updates will be on hold. I look forward to reconnecting with you all when I return in September. This is a thirty day notice.

During my hike, my work is focused on planning for the September through Thanksgiving Detox which I will blog you through. After Thanksgiving, we start the prep for Christmas and New Years celebrations.

Don’t forget to write your vacation notice for your emails at work and on your personal email.