u/creekriverocean

Hi all, we are at the very early stages of deciding our next big trip.

As we are from a warmer country we are seeking a very wintery experience so that we have something dramatically different from home.

Loose plans and early what-if ideas at this stage are things like:

Hurtigruten classic voyage (yes we know it is a ferry not a cruise ship per se and actually like that!)

Stay somewhere quiet and charming for a white Xmas, not super touristy if that's even possible these days

We are usually drawn to nice natural scenery, non-obvious destinations that are not mostly catering to foreign tourists, rural or regional towns away from the capital cities.

age 50 but super active. like things such as kayaking, hikes, sup, surf at home, and if in cold place would like to do things unique like xc ski touring perhaps skidoo / snowmobile tour.

Don't want to go clubbing or partying , however it would be nice to visit a local pub or restaurant or two.

Yes it will be cold, dark, and people from Europe might think we are mad, but we get plenty of warmth sunshine beach here whenever we want so really seek the opposite for contrast.

Please feel very welcome to throw some thoughts or warnings our way about the viability of a winter/Xmas in Norway

Hi all. I'm just at the tail end of my training. I was upfront during recruitment that I wanted roughly 2/3 as much work as a full-timer.

I am employed as a CASUAL and not seeking permanent.

Reason: I am in my 50's and financially able to semi retire but still want to work and contribute, but simply don't need to work full time at this stage of life. I have elder care responsibilities that I manage quite well and it is predictable what days I need to attend to these things, and I keep a tight schedule.

Recruitment and interviews all the way saying yes this is fine we support this, we have a fair few drivers in this situation and as long as you're reliable no problems.

However in the depot, the vibe on this is really different and I have found it best to be cautious about discussing this. The trainers and mentor when I touched on it spoke to me like I was from another planet with two heads. To the extent that they outright said that I shouldn't be asking for this it will piss everyone off.

I also worry that people will treat me differently because they need to work full time (which was me for the last 35 years, until recently !) and who do I think I am not needing full time work etc.

Any tips on how to navigate this much appreciated.

I have in mind to see what shifts are allocated to me for a few weeks without blocking dates, see how that pans out first, and then if it's more than I want then start talking about blocking certain days of the week, or something.

Also, how do you all manage to have future dates blocked out, eg pre booked doctors appointment etc?