The vacation policy for Autodesk employees in the United States is 2 weeks per year. Unlike other American companies, employees don't earn additional vacation as they work more years with the company. What we get instead is a 6-week sabbatical every 4 years. I am enjoying mine starting right now. My wife and I have rented an apartment on Bourbon Street in New Orleans for the month of April. Here are some of the things we've done.

• Had drinks and listened to music on Bourbon Street
  
• Ate beignets (donuts covered in powdered sugar) at Cafe du Monde
• Rode a street car
• Viewed pictures and statues at the New Orleans Museum of Art
  
• Saw Confederate and United States coins and machinery at The Old Mint
• Strolled through Louis Armstrong Park
  
• Hung out in Jackson Square
  
• Sampled fine foods via a TasteBuds walking food tour
• Drank a Pimms Cup at the Napoleon House
• Pretended to be hipsters and got drinks on Frenchmen Street in the up-and-coming Marigny District
• Visited The Cabildo where the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803
  
• Experienced lows and highs at the Hurricane Katrina and Mardi Gras exhibits at The Presbytere Museum
• Attended a 30th birthday party for my nephew (my sister's son)
  
• Took a garden tour (blog article)
• Paid our respects at the World War II Museum
  
• Accidentally got lagniappe ("extra") appetizers at Chef Paul Prudhomme's K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen
  
• Had a drink at the carousel bar at The Montleone Hotel
• Viewed graves from the 1800's at St. Louis Cemetery in the Treme District
  
• Window-shopped along Magazine Street
• Bought original artwork on Royal Street and had it shipped home
• Grilled my own boudin bought from Rouse's Grocery
  
• Enjoyed the Preservation Hall Brass Band and Irma Thomas at the French Quarter Festival
  
• Had a drink at Lafitte's, established in 1772, the oldest bar still operating in the United States
  
• Drank multiple Hurricanes at the piano bar at Pat O'Brien's
  
• Ate a muffuletta sandwich at Mesparo's in the Old Slave Exchange building
• Ate boiled crawfish at the French Quarter Festival
  
• Saw how the Mardi Gras parade floats are designed and created
  

And April is only half-over.

Partying is alive in the lab.