The Vacation Not Taken

One thing Americans don’t do particularly well is vacations. We don’t get nearly as many vacation days as workers elsewhere in the world, we don’t use all the vacation time we do get, and -- perhaps worried about our job security -- we tend to check in with the office while we’re away. What’s more, about 25 percent of American workers get no paid time off  at all. In fact, we’re the only industrialized nation in the world that does not guarantee its workers any paid vacation time.

This year, economic conditions are adding a new wrinkle to vacations, causing many people to turn whatever vacation time they do have into a “staycation” -- or a vacation at home. I’ll probably be one of those staycationers myself this year, because, like many of us, I’m just not inclined to spend the money to drive or fly somewhere in these days of $4/gallon gas prices, skyrocketing airfares and a weak dollar.

But I do wonder if I'll regret not taking a trip somewhere this year. I'm the type who needs to get away -- far away -- from my usual routine every now and again to recharge and renew. I learned that lesson the hard way awhile back after I went nearly two years without taking more than two days off in a row (and that was to attend a funeral). I paid the price by experiencing many of the symptoms of extreme job burnout, like sleeplessness and an overall mental staleness. Indeed, the adverse health consequences of not taking an extended break from your usual home and work routine are well-documented -- this New York Times article neatly summarizes some relevant stats and studies.

There’s something else, too, about the importance of vacation travel. I’ve always believed leisure travel is never a waste, because it can provide you with extraordinary life experiences you’d be less likely to get during an ordinary workday or by sticking close to home. Perhaps this example will serve as a cautionary tale. I once knew someone who turned down a trip to Antarctica with his father because he was too busy at work. The father went alone, and a few years later, passed away unexpectedly. Did this person then regret not taking the trip? You bet. A father-son journey to a place few people have ever traveled to certainly would have been the experience of a lifetime -- one anyone would remember forever. I wonder if whatever this person did at work during those weeks was as memorable.

So time and financial considerations aside, maybe the question to ask is: If you think you can’t afford to go on vacation, can you afford not to either?

Are there any vacations you regret not taking (or even some that you did)? Leave a comment below. Here’s more on vacations:

• “The Importance of Vacation”
• “Contractors Deserve Vacations, Too”
• “Your Vacation Splurges”
• From the Monster Blog: “Do You Take All Your Vacation?”
• From the Monster Blog: “It’s Vacation Time: Go Ahead, You Deserve It”

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