Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
European adults get lots of time to play.
A Greek friend of mine spent twenty years working in New York. Only after he retired
and returned to Greece did he realize that not once in all those years in America did he take
a nap. Back in Greece, if he's sleepy in the afternoon, he takes a snooze. Europeans mar-
vel at how Americans seem willing, almost eager, to work themselves into an early grave.
In many countries, European friends have told me proudly, “We don't live to work…we
work to live.”
Europeans understand the trade-off. Because they choose to work less, most
Europeans don't strive for the material affluence that their American counterparts do.
European housing, cars, gadgets, and other “stuff” are modest compared to what an Amer-
ican with a similar job might own. It's a matter of priorities. Just as Europeans willingly
pay higher taxes for a higher standard of service, they choose less pay (and less stuff) in
exchange for more time off. Imagine this in your own life: Would you make do with a
smaller car if you knew you didn't have to pay health insurance premiums and co-pays?
Would you be willing to give up the luxury of a giant TV and live in a smaller house if
you could cut back to 35 hours per workweek and get a few extra weeks of paid vacation?
