My biggest travel motivation was achieving that work-life balance thing. It’s such an American concept, I know but it is still a sad reality. In the States, there are no siestas and employees are expected to work more than forty-hours a week. On top of that, most companies have AWFUL vacation benefits or in some cases, like mine, had the WORLD’S MOST HORRIBLE BOSS. Let’s not forget how you are also expected to find time to answer your work emails between laying on a beach in Thailand and zip-lining in Costa Rica.
But what’s baffling to me is that 42% of Americans did not use their vacation days last year. Don’t worry, I was not part of that statistic. I made sure I used every single one of my vacation days. Every single one.
Do Americans love their jobs so much they would rather work than go on vacation?
We all know the answer to that!
How I managed to balance a demanding career and a jetsetting lifestyle is still a puzzle to me. However, I give credit to my stubborn determination to “do whatever I want” and all I wanted was to travel.
After all, this generation is all about YOLO. And it’s particularly easy to plan a getaway when you hate your boss.
All I’m saying is that you need to have some fun. Live life. Spend more time with your loved ones. Travel the world!
You don’t have to quit your job and drop everything to travel the world for a year. All you have to do is take the first step. Use your vacations days! Don’t let your wretched boss bully you or your company enslave you.
Most of all, don’t feel bad when you hand in that vacation request dammit!
Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.
I use all of my holiday days from work religiously. It’s still not enough though! Work life balance is so important for sure
Yes! It’s never enough! If people don’t want their holiday days, I’d gladly take them. 🙂