Do Rich People Take Vacations?

I love this question, and so appropriate for this time of year. But are you kidding me? From my point of view rich people are on vacation 24/7, three-hundred-sixty-five days a year.

For most of us we get a miserable week or two off once a year, right? And we use the time to rest and wind down, maybe make some improvements around the house, or perhaps take a family trip to the beach, Disney World or the Grand Canyon - depending on our energy and available cash. And we call this a vacation.

In most European countries everyone from corporation CEO's to dishwashers and garbage collectors get a full month off every year! To rest, recover and re-energize themselves for the work year ahead. But for some dastardly reason here in America we're not that nice or generous to each other in our work places - which is thinly described by our government and corporate executives as our highly-productive work ethics here in the USA.

Work until you drop is what they really mean. But hey, just before you drop, go ahead and take a week or two off. Gee thanks, corporate America. If it weren't for Labor Unions we wouldn't even get that, would we? Or holiday pay either.
  
But getting back to the original question the answer is no, rich people do not take vacations - at least as we understand them. Vacation from what would be the first question! Sleeping 'til noon every day?

They travel throughout the year both for business and pleasure. They take journeys when they visit several countries in a row. They take sojourns to the deep jungles of Africa or a climb up Machu Picchu. And they may take a  pilgrimage to their holy sites at the Vatican in Rome, or Nepal, Mecca, or Jerusalem. And they definitely take respites to their favorite rehab clinics in Switzerland to drop a few pounds or have a little nip and tuck here and there.

But do rich people take vacations? No. That's what we do - the rabble, the drones, the workers. Even in a high-paying corporate job your Employee Handbook will tell you how many months or years you have to work to get just one week off, and how many more years to get two.

I didn't mean for this to come across as negative about American productivity and our so-called work ethics. But honestly, why can't Americans have a whole month off like Europeans? It doesn't make any sense.

Andrew