We don't take vacations anymore.

“Vacation?  You must be kidding.  Americans don’t take vacations anymore.”  My young friend Brady is a tech genius who lives and works in Silicon Valley.  I asked coworkers of his about their vacation plans.  Several said they had no extra money to spend on a luxury such as a vacation.  They’re living paycheck to paycheck.  They sometimes take off a Friday or Monday to extend the weekend but can’t afford to do anything special that requires airfare, hotels, new clothes or meals out.  Others had trepidations about going out of town fearing their companies could manage without them.  They were scared of losing their jobs.  “I haven’t had a vacation since I graduated from Stanford a decade ago.  Too much going on.  I’ve got to stay connected.”  Brady, a 30ish working billionaire describes what life is like in the fast lane of tech Mecca (Silicon Valley). “The work schedule is a killer 55, 60 hours a week. People in the Valley get started in the late morning – around 11 – but we work late touching base with colleagues globally.  For entertainment we might plan a group hike for Saturday lunch.  We normally hook up at a central location, hike a few miles away for lunch at our favorite hamburger stand and hike back.  Once in a while we’ll use our bikes.”    I ask why they choose to hike? Is it a desire for exercise or are they trying to avoid unwanted surveillance by hiking through the woods?  Brady cracks a wide smile, “I guess it’s a little of both.”  I ask if the Saturday hike to lunch is co-ed?  Brady admits that the guys prefer to hang out with guys only.  “There are lots of smart women working on tons of projects here but they tend to keep to their side of the fence.  It just seems to work out that way.”

I ask, “Does anybody you know take a vacation or belong to a gym?”  Brady answers, “No, not at all.  If you play golf, living and working in this valley is definitely not for you!  Some of the fitness centers in town offer a 30-minute workout tailored to fit the needs of us locals.  I’ve given it up because I need to stay at work until goofy hours and can’t really commit to outside appointments.  It took me a few years to even buy a house,  I lived in a small walk-up apartment for 8 or 9 years because I couldn’t afford the time to go house-hunting.  As it is, I still haven’t opened some of the closets and cabinets in my house yet  I've never used my oven.”   I ask, “When do you go shopping?” “ I don’t spend lots of time shopping or fancy socializing – a quick trip to Fry’s or Trader Joe’s is the extent of it.  My one big indulgence is dining out occasionally, especially on a summer’s evening.  The dress code is always casual -- polo shirt, khakis and blazer.  We’ll drink a glass of cabernet before dinner.  Our favorite restaurant is the Madera at the Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel.  This is the high point of my work week.”  Having recently pulled off a successful IPO Brady will finally be heading out to the big tech convention in Maui.  It’s an annual tradition in May. He raises his water bottle in a toast, “Here Today, Gone to Maui.”  (They refer to the Grand Wailea in Maui as Silicon West.)  "The "big boys" will be sailing their yachts across the Pacific for the meet."  Brady smiles,  "I've never been, but after a dozen years of non-stop hard work, I'm really looking forward to it.  Got my Aloha shirts and flip flops all ready for some good disruption." Are there any rules you live by, any principles that you feel are important?  Brady pauses for a beat as if to gather his thoughts.  “Well yeah, I can think of a few things.  For instance, I would never have any electronics connected in my bedroom – no smart phone, laptop, nothing. One single source of light coming from a cell phone can awaken you and ruin your circadian rhythm.  Sleep is your body’s vacation. We’ve got certain sleep patterns.  I’ve warned my sister to collect laptops, cell phones, ipads, all tech stuff from her kids at night so they can get a good night’s sleep.  One light being turned on can awaken you and put you into an alert state when you should be sleeping.  For people like me, it’s essential.” 

According to a survey done by the Travel Association, 40% of Americans do not take a vacation.  According to the American Psychological Association one-third of workers are overworked which results in lost productivity.  If Americans are no longer taking much needed breaks they run the risk of burnout and depression.  Whereas if we analyze the situation we might realize that taking a break from routine might help our mental outlook and benefit our relationships in the long run.  If Americans start to travel again it will help the economy and put other people back to work.  I ask Brady what he thinks about this notion.  He smiles and gives me a high five.  “You’re right.  I really think you’re right.  I guess I’ve got to refocus and start making some changes.  No question about it – I’m in a rut.  There's no special woman in my life.  I've postponed lots of things and sacrificed in order to get my projects moving.  Now it's time to step back a bit and relax. I don’t want to be the richest guy in the graveyard.  I promise – I’m going to take a vacation.  Hey, I’ll start with Maui in May.”