July brings us one month closer to the Abbott’s Get-Together, and for me, my one true vacation of the year. One of the things they don’t tell you when you leave college to enter the working world is that there is no summer vacation anymore. Talk about a drag! So instead, the yearly trip to Colon has been my summer sanctuary – a chance to do some magic, see old friends, and make new ones, all while enjoying the beautiful village. I do enjoy living in Chicago, but it sure is nice to get out of the city now and then!

With the coming Get-Together, I decided to highlight one of my favorite stories. Hence, I contacted Mac King, who graciously granted us permission to republish an essay he wrote about one of his Colon excursions. I won’t give away too much, but I have yet to hear a story that can top Mac’s!

Speaking of breaks, every June I volunteer for a week at a summer camp that has nothing to do with magic. I ended the week with the realization that I hadn’t done, thought, or talked about magic for 7 days! When you work for a magic company, edit a magazine, and perform regularly, that’s quite an accomplishment.

I learned that it really is important to take a break now and then, even from something we love as much as magic. You really can have too much of a good thing, and it can lead to burnout. A number of full-time magicians I know have expressed “magic overload” since their hobby became a career. I decided that I definitely didn’t want to be a full-time magician – when your hobby becomes a career, then what do you do for a hobby?

This month, I want to pose a challenge to you: if you’re the type of person who is fiddling with cards or coins non-stop – put them down for a week. When you pick them up again, see what a difference a week makes!