Today’s topic for Monday Chat: Do You Go On Vacation?
We’re getting to the end of August, so summer vacation might be on your mind. Did you know that the average US worker gets 12 days of vacation a year (compared with 21 days in Canada, 23 in England, and 39 in France). However, 31% of Americans don’t even take all of our days off (compared to 24% in Canada, 21% in England, and 17% in France). Hmmm, Brie cheese, the Louvre, and 8 weeks vacation - la joie!
When you add pain to these vacation issues, things can get more complicated. If you do work, do you take your vacation? Have you used a lot of sick days because of your illness and don’t think you should take more time off?
If you don’t work, do you go on vacation? Do you think you still deserve time away? Is vacationing hard because of pain issues? Is money tight and not spent on holidays?
Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Stats courtesy of Monster.com.
Reminder: The deadline for your August Pain-Blog Carnival submission is 8/22.
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4 responses so far ↓
emily // Aug 18, 2008 at 3:03 pm
i don’t work, but it seems there are always family commitments that ‘require’ vacations. i’m glad for them, both to see extended family and to get away from home with my husband - but trying to vacation while in pain is difficult.
both the money aspects and the pain aspects are trying. i want to make the most of the short time, but my medication limits are still in place, so i have a great deal of pain daily (just like usual). i don’t want to miss out on anything, so i always end up overdoing - and needing to recover from the vacation when we get home.
Nickie // Aug 18, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I’m a student, so we have summer breaks, spring break and Christmas/J-Term breaks. I really struggle to figure out how to make them real vacations. Especially because my pain has been so out of control lately, it’s been really hard to feel like I’m on vacation this summer. I’m at the doctor’s, biofeedback, pool therapy or the phamrmacy so much.
I did go to a blindness convention earlier this summer, which was fun, but which can also be stressful. I had a hard time staying comfortable.
Kelley // Sep 4, 2008 at 11:19 am
Vacation? What’s that? Since becoming married & having children, we have NEVER had a week’s vacation. My husband gets paid vacation each year, but EVERY week has been used for me to have surgery & recover. And if we DID have a few days of vacation, we sure didn’t have the money to go away. Our children are 10 & 13 and do not know what its like to go away for a week or longer. I feel guilty because it’s because of ME my children don’t have vacations. I would give ANYTHING to take them to Disney for a week in Fla. This is their dream. At this point, it’ll never happen. UGH!
How to Cope with Pain // Sep 4, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Sounds like there are several barriers between you and vacation! Do you ever try an “at home” vacation?
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