Vacations are for Middle America. But for some reason, VC blogger Fred Wilson's family still expects him to take them away from time to time. Here's how he copes, in a version you can read while packing your suitcase.

A "get away from it all" vacation is a romantic notion. This week, for example, I am assisting two portfolio companies on hires, helping with the negotiations, and closing a deal. You can't just disengage. So what do I do? I block out 90 minutes in the morning when my family is asleep for emails and phone calls. Hawaii makes that easy because at 6 a.m. its 9 a.m. in the Bay Area and noon in NYC. I keep my BlackBerry with me but off unless we have some down time. I scan email. I post on the elliptical trainer. A friend listened in to a board call where he is an observer while skiing. He had the call on mute and the headphones under his helmet.

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