There’s a term that we like to use around here called “snowbirds,” which is used to describe those who once resided in the northern part of the U.S., only to flee to warmer parts of the country during the winter.
And although my colleague had mixed feelings about her own parents joining that population in Florida, she couldn’t be too upset when her dad suggested flying down from Boston for a Red Sox spring training game.
Naturally, she had to take the day off — and couldn’t let folks know with any old generic auto-response. Instead, she made a guessing game of it in her out-of-office email, which you can use for yourself, below.
Example
Hello there,
I’m currently out of the office, enjoying some peanuts and Cracker Jacks with my family. Can you guess where I am? That’s okay, you’re busy.
If your message is urgent, fear not — we’ll get it addressed. Try doing one of two things:
- Send me an email at TheresNoCryingInBaseball@example.com.
- Just kidding. That’s not a real email address.
- Reach out to my manager at manager@example.com in my absence.
I’ll be back in the office on 7/19 and will happily respond then. Have a great weekend!