What Are You Working Those Long Days And Weeks For Anyway?

In North America, we overvalue the idea of busyness, and undervalue time. North Americans work longer hours than people in any other industrialized nation. In Europe, North America is viewed as a “nation of workaholics”. According to a report from the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO), “Workers in the United States are putting in more hours than anyone else in the industrialized world.” I clearly didn’t read that memo before making my transatlantic move, and in true Living by Experience fashion, I opted to learn the lesson the hard way.

Vacations?

What are we working those long days and weeks for? Even though I wrote a bestselling book about travel, it’s not extravagant vacations we put in all the extra hours for. The typical American worker has an average of only two weeks of vacation as compared to four to six weeks for their European counterparts. That alone might be the reason why I never found my permanent place in corporate Canada. How is it that anyone is remo…