I Could Use a Summer Holiday!

There are certain aspects of being born and raised in one culture and living in a very different one that you just never get used to.

I was born and grew up in Denmark and the cultural orientation and attitude towards work and free time is radically different from here in the US.

Pure and simple: People in the USA are overworked and often at the edge of burnout.

I was having an email exchange with my cousin in Denmark who was about to start his 3-week paid summer vacation and it got me to thinking about how most people in this country don't get even two weeks' worth of paid vacation, and that's for the entire year!

I'm not going to get into the whole debate over "who's more productive" and "who's better off," this is more of a cultural systemic issue.

In the US, it is almost a point of pride to work so much you don't have time for holidays... it's almost a bragging contest to talk about how many hours somebody was at work.

Somehow, I just don't feel like that is healthy, on any level, and the cynic in me can't help but think that it's conditioning designed to maximize corporate profits, at the expense of human well-being.

Even though people talk a lot about "work/life balance" and such things, I don't see things here changing much. The culture is too embroiled in the paradigm of productivity mattering more than human wellness.

It even impacts the self-employed, such as myself... I find that I can't afford to take holidays in a system that is designed around constant work. My customers expect me to be there and available at all times.

It's quite a contrast to my childhood where it was not unusual to stop by a small shop in July or August only to find a sign "closed for summer holiday" for several weeks or a month... and nobody would be upset about it!

The "Eternal Work Culture" is one part of US life I have just never gotten used to, and one I have never adopted.

And even though I know perfectly well that I won't be able to take one, I could really use a summer holiday!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week ahead!

How about You? Does your country take summer holidays? Will you be going on holiday this summer? Feel free to leave a comment and be part of the conversation!

2023.07.10 01:28 PDT