\n
<\/p>\n
When the server walked past our table, my hand shot upward like a high schooler eager to answer the teacher\u2019s question.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cCan we get two more of the same, please?\u201d I asked upon getting his attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother round of espresso martinis? I got you, boss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leona grinned and nodded in approval, as expected. We go back like four flats on a Cadillac. From study buddies back at the G.O.A.T. HBCU<\/a> to marketing professionals putting in work for thriving companies, we\u2019ve remained a two-person support system. It\u2019s a celebration every time we link up. So it\u2019s only right that we throw back a few cocktails while getting our yap on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sipping a boozy, caffeinated concoction at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday has a way of making me chatty. It also makes me wonder why more of my peers don\u2019t observe the same tradition. Weeks before this rendezvous, Leona and I both planned to burn a day of PTO<\/a>, coordinating our schedules like a couple of executives setting off for a retreat. Except the only agenda on this outing was tacos and real talk. We call it the skip day.<\/p>\n The premise is simple: You and a friend both call out from your respective gigs for a workday hangout. This is not earmarked time for errands or spent couch rotting in solitude. It\u2019s two (or more!) friends sharing a mental health day while the rest of Corporate America<\/a> clocks in. Skip day is the adult version of faking sick in grade school, except you don\u2019t have to fake anything. You just make sure you\u2019re anywhere but your workplace.<\/p>\n The skip day didn\u2019t start as a formal thing. It evolved\u2014the way most good traditions do\u2014out of necessity. After weeks of failed meetups and playing calendar tag, we decided to multitask by coworking from a local Seattle caf\u00e9. We locked in, knocked off to-do lists, and squeezed in some kikis between tasks. It became a regular thing every few weeks. Eventually, we decided to cut the work part out altogether.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n