Did you know that according to a recent survey, forty-seven percent of Americans took at least one vacation in the past twelve months? That is nearly half the country and quite an intriguing statistic. In addition, three percent of the population travelled for leisure four or more times in the past twelve months. (whistles) That’s a bunch of frequent flyer miles!
The modern vacation is a comparatively new concept that has only developed over the past two centuries. Taking time off from work to pursue relaxation or tourism, even if a family chooses not to leave home was once a luxury only reserved for the ultra-wealthy. Enjoying a break or retreat from work has become almost a mandatory entitlement in our culture, creating an expectation from employers to offer paid time off as a standard benefit for company loyalty. This employment perk, once experienced is hard to give up and sorely missed if a job change becomes inevitable.
In the early days of America, when the Puritan pioneer spirit set the tone, taking any break from work other than to observe the Sabbath was inherently frowned upon. One was considered a loafer and idler if he ‘neglected’ his responsibilities for mere selfish pleasure. However, as years passed, the shift towards stepping away from the daily grind for a brief respite actually began as a religious movement where people sought spiritual renewal from the constant focus on the temporary demands of life to consider the eternal. Our culture has swung far past this point on the continuum to where the absence from work and the daily grind has become exclusively a pursuit of self-indulgence. A healthy blending of these two is the best defense against burn out and exhaustion in my humble opinion. Refreshing both the body and spirit is the purpose of a strategic vacation which I wholeheartedly endorse for anyone who can manage it.
The word vacation itself comes from the French “vacance” which looks quite familiar to our word ‘vacancy’ doesn’t it? It refers directly to the old European custom of having a summer home in another location or even another country where the wealthy could spend leisure time away which left their primary residence vacant. While we might ask a friend to house sit for us or watch our pets during a trip, I’m sure few of us enjoy an entire summer off at a home away from home! If you can swing it, more power to you!
In our modern world, just taking a break from the unending saturation of technology can be considered a type of vacation. Shutting down Facebook, turning off the updates on our phones and detaching electronically can be a very rejuvenating break from our plugged in lifestyles. I am in prep mode for a family adventure to parts unknown in our great country and I am seriously anticipating the joys of uninterrupted crocheting on the plane! Ahhh, it’s the simple things! So as I unplug, refresh and undoubtedly return with some jetlag, I am counting my blessings to be able to take a vacation. Bon voyage!
