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I find it laughable that people say Americans can't afford to travel...we have one of the highest standards of living in the world...if Europeans can afford to travel Americans can afford to travel a LOT more. However the one thing that prevents it is vacation time. It is severely constrained here and many people choose what little time they have to visit family or catch up on obligations. A lot of Americans do travel but most I have seen do multi-city marathons hardly seeing anything properly because they have such limited time...I know so many people who have visited 3-4 countries in 10-14 days which is way too quick in my opinion. Taking a hiatus from a job here in the US is looked down upon and any employment gaps without a valid reason can also be career sabotage...and travel is not considered a valid reason to be off work for an extended time which is a real shame.
Europeans can afford to travel longer to many more places just because they get much more time off without the risk of losing their job.
I personally do not understand the attitude that anything worth seeing is within my own border but I don't feel superior to these people because I disagree. If anything, my life would be more stable and easier if I didn't have the travel "itch", although it would be more boring and less colorful.
But if you didn't have the (foreign) travel "itch", I presume you would find other activities to involve yourself in. Therefore, your life wouldn't be more boring or less colorful. It would just be different.
Saying your life would be "more boring" is an interesting choice of words. More boring than what? Your current life of international travel? Or more boring than the lives of those folks who choose not to travel internationally - which sounds like feeling superior to me.
Scott
Last edited by houstonreadhead; 07-07-2010 at 07:48 PM..
Reason: typo
I find it laughable that people say Americans can't afford to travel...we have one of the highest standards of living in the world ... if Europeans can afford to travel Americans can afford to travel a LOT more.
it's tough for me. i'm single and live in nyc. my day-to-day expenses are high. if i lived somewhere else, i'd have more disposable income to travel. if i stay in my current profession, i may have to move. the Europeans i know live in a minimalistic fashion. i'm sure this helps them to have extra money to travel, and when they do travel, they find ways to do it inexpensively.
Quote:
Originally Posted by k374
However the one thing that prevents it is vacation time. It is severely constrained here and many people choose what little time they have to visit family or catch up on obligations. A lot of Americans do travel but most I have seen do multi-city marathons hardly seeing anything properly because they have such limited time...I know so many people who have visited 3-4 countries in 10-14 days which is way too quick in my opinion. Taking a hiatus from a job here in the US is looked down upon and any employment gaps without a valid reason can also be career sabotage...and travel is not considered a valid reason to be off work for an extended time which is a real shame.
Europeans can afford to travel longer to many more places just because they get much more time off without the risk of losing their job.
Remember that many, probably most Germans, Brits, etc. travel abroad for the same purposes as most Americans do domestically - to laze on a beach with a drink in their hand, or enjoy some other relaxing experience without much contact with the native culture. If you have doubts about this, look at "Ballermann 6" in Spain, one of the British tourism outposts (the entire southeastern coast of Spain, Corfu, etc.), or Disney World. They simply can't have those experiences within their own countries. Lots of partying (for the younger crowd), relaxing, etc., nothing like the "refined" cultural experience most Americans who idolize Europe think all tourists from there embark on.
But if you didn't have the (foreign) travel "itch", I presume you would find other activities to involve yourself in. Therefore, your life wouldn't be more boring or less colorful. It would just be different.
Saying your life would be "more boring" is an interesting choice of words. More boring than what? Your current life of international travel? Or more boring than the lives of those folks who choose not to travel internationally - which sounds like feeling superior to me.
Scott
Well Scott I wasn't saying that people can't lead interesting lives without travel. Being exposed to different cultures is colorful and interesting so if my life didn't have that I can honestly say my life would have less of those things. There are certainly other colorful things to get involved in but for me it's pointless to speculate so forgive me if I didn't include a disclaimer
Remember that many, probably most Germans, Brits, etc. travel abroad for the same purposes as most Americans do domestically - to laze on a beach with a drink in their hand, or enjoy some other relaxing experience without much contact with the native culture. If you have doubts about this, look at "Ballermann 6" in Spain, one of the British tourism outposts (the entire southeastern coast of Spain, Corfu, etc.), or Disney World. They simply can't have those experiences within their own countries. Lots of partying (for the younger crowd), relaxing, etc., nothing like the "refined" cultural experience most Americans who idolize Europe think all tourists from there embark on.
Yes indeed.
In certain areas, Sorrento, Italy resembles a Brit/German holiday camp.
German and English teens were staggering around clutching beer bottles.
There were little pockets on Corfu, Greece that were basically "Little England" and "Little Germany." I've never seen so many well-fed blond sunburned bodies, not even in Florida.
I find it laughable that people say Americans can't afford to travel...we have one of the highest standards of living in the world...if Europeans can afford to travel Americans can afford to travel a LOT more. However the one thing that prevents it is vacation time. It is severely constrained here and many people choose what little time they have to visit family or catch up on obligations. A lot of Americans do travel but most I have seen do multi-city marathons hardly seeing anything properly because they have such limited time...I know so many people who have visited 3-4 countries in 10-14 days which is way too quick in my opinion. Taking a hiatus from a job here in the US is looked down upon and any employment gaps without a valid reason can also be career sabotage...and travel is not considered a valid reason to be off work for an extended time which is a real shame.
Europeans can afford to travel longer to many more places just because they get much more time off without the risk of losing their job.
Many Americans get plenty of time off. My husband and I each get three weeks vacation a year, plus personal time and sick days (works out to about five weeks a year). We both work for companies that allow employees to take a few extra weeks of unpaid leave over and above vacation every few years if they want to nake extended travel plans.
We like "multi-city marathons" for places that we want to visit but don't feel the need to completely immerse ourselves in the culture, but like to take a week or more in other areas to explore and "live like the locals."
This is certainly true, but it doesn't change that the average amount of vacation time for an American is far less than their European counterparts, which is certainly a factor in ease/frequency of travel.
This is certainly true, but it doesn't change that the average amount of vacation time for an American is far less than their European counterparts, which is certainly a factor in ease/frequency of travel.
I know very, very few people who don't get at least two weeks a year, which is plenty of time to travel. Those who dont' travel don't do so for lack of vacation time, but rather because they choose to spend their time and money on different priorities.
I know very, very few people who don't get at least two weeks a year, which is plenty of time to travel. Those who dont' travel don't do so for lack of vacation time, but rather because they choose to spend their time and money on different priorities.
Ask all those people if they are allowed to take those two weeks all at once, or if they have to break it up.
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