Went on an Adventure Without Asking Permission

So yeah, I had this big idea for a road trip. Wanted to hit up all these cool spots and take photos and stuff. I'd been saving money, but my job has strict rules about taking time off, and my boss is like the worst at approving anything. But I thought, what's the point of living if you don't take risks? So I decided to skip a few days of work anyway. My coworkers are tight-lipped about it, acting all shocked when I'm not there, but they know I've been stressed out and needed a break. I had this great time driving through these beautiful places with my camera, taking photos like crazy. Feels liberating to just do what you want sometimes, even if the rules say otherwise! But now everyone's whispering behind my back at work, and I'm not sure how my boss is going to react when they find out for real. So here's my question: Am I being totally unreasonable by thinking it's okay to skip a few days of work for personal reasons? Is this kind of stuff just asking for trouble? What do you think about all this? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!