Hallowell views his break as the opposite of crazy busy: "It's good busy, which means being content, fulfilled, productive, in a calm state, not a frenzied one. We have visitors, we're socially active, but it's not pressure packed. There are big gobs of time to do nothing, to sit by the lake, or play tennis, or take walks."

"A vacation shouldn't be a forced march with a list of 33 museums and 17 parties," he adds. "When you become overcommitted, that's stressful. If you don't take your time, it will be taken from you. The pun is intended. It means not only slowing your pace but taking control of how you spend your time rather than letting someone--or your attachment to technology--snatch it from you."

In other words, adopt a mantra from the Simon and Garfunkel classic: Slow down, you move too fast. There's no guarantee you'll end up feeling groovy. But you'll surely make the summer last.