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Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 10 2006, 06:26 PM

Following on from the comments in '...Never...'.....I have noticed that many US based members have never left their own shores? Just curious....most europeans have visited other countries - in the last five years I have been to Belgium, Italy (twice) Spain (5 times), Switzerland (every year), France (4 x a year), Canary Islands, USA (twice).

It is clear that many US members have never ventured outside your borders - this may be because you are young and broke, or because you can find your vacation needs within your own borders. Obviously the US is a big country with extremes of weather etc....but where do you go on holiday, and why? And what stops you leaving the US?

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 10 2006, 06:37 PM

Not being from the US I may not be the right one to comment. However You are lucky in the fact that you live in Europe and it is very very easy to travel to other countries affordably... I'd love to be in your situation.

Being from Aus and being miles from anywhere we have alot of great destinations here that I havent seen yet. However I have been overseas a few times and I am saving up to go to europe hopefully next year

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 10 2006, 06:53 PM

It's always refreshing to see that one of our colonial cousins is seeking cultural enlightenment!!

Seriously though, where do aussies tend to go for holidays?

Posted by: closeup Mar 10 2006, 06:54 PM

I've traveled overseas quite a bit being in the Marines, but when I take a vacation it's always been in the U.S.. I'll be taking a four day vacation in Charleston, S.C. starting on Wednesday. I hope it's in the 80's the whole time.

Posted by: frenchguy_pa Mar 10 2006, 06:59 PM

me in Corse isle soon france

hope come to usa one day

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 10 2006, 07:30 PM

So...what does Charleston offer that you don't get in Maine...? (Forgive my lack of US geography and knowledge...just curious..)

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 10 2006, 07:54 PM

I guess it depends on what u are looking for in a holiday.

I have been to Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia etc because I love surfing and I love tropical locations. I do want to do the whole Europe thing though as I mentioned.

Many Aussies go to London (and end up staying there) and throughout Europe or holiday throughout the US

Posted by: diane26 Mar 10 2006, 08:49 PM

I have only been to Mexico I have been all over the United States, Been to TJ Mexico **no where fancy there ** and Juarez Mexico **like TJ but on the Texas side. Been to Puerto Vallarte which was beautiful and tropical and summer 04 went to Cabo San Lucas not as nice as PV but also awesome place.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 10 2006, 08:51 PM

Forgot to add though I want to visit many places and I am sure I will I have no desire to visit Asia but that is about it.


When I finish college I plan on taking a 2 week cruise to Europe to reward myself.

My dad is a navy man and has been almost everywhere around the world.

Posted by: Vlad Mar 10 2006, 09:03 PM

I generally stay at the 5 lakes near Meadow Lake. Great fishing, great camping zones. and if 1 lake is too crowded, there are 4 more to choose from withing a few KMs of eachother.

Though I have been to Romania now and then.

Posted by: closeup Mar 10 2006, 10:26 PM

Warm weather in March. The two cities are similar in that they are both port towns with working waterfronts. Cobblestone streets and brick sidewalks. Also, alot of the bars and resturants are converted warehouses. Ybor City in Tampa is also like this. I know 300 year old buildings are common in England, but there are only a few cities in America that have any. Charleston is one of the oldest/first settled cities.

Posted by: 7mary3 Mar 11 2006, 03:22 AM

I like to travel to places simply for the experience of new people and places. I enjoy going to unique places or the novelty type. For example the indian ruins at Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, and Roswell, New Mexico because of all that alien stuff. I've traveled as far west as Neveda. I've also been to Germany, only because I have family over there. The plan is to go there this May.

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 12 2006, 02:40 PM

Carribean (Saint Martin)
Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)
Honduras
Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver)
Hawaii
All over U.S.

I'll go anywhere that has a nude beach nearby.

I just read an article mentioning how cheap flights were in Europe. That makes it VERY inexpensive to explore. Moreover, Europeans typically have more weeks of leave for vacation (from their employers) than in America. Average annual leave in America is two weeks.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 13 2006, 01:08 AM

2 weeks!!! Are you serious? I thought we got screwed in Australia by getting 4 weeks.

Posted by: summoner Mar 13 2006, 01:15 AM

I have never been in one



Flights are cheap! If I wanted to fly from Helsinki to Berlin I can find a flight that cost only 59€ and that isnīt much And I could fly from Helsinki to New York it woulc cost about 1800€ Here in Finland if you have steady work you will earn your vacation and after a year itīs four weeks! I just canīt wait to get to work

Posted by: johnny wadd Mar 13 2006, 01:16 AM

I am American and have been many places,Carribean many times and Canada.I just wouldnt go to Europe right now.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 13 2006, 01:18 AM

He forgot to mention the 2 weeks is usually after 3-5 years ont he job the first usually 3 it is only one week.

Oh and that is the norm for fulltime employees which is 40+ hours a week

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 13 2006, 01:42 AM

fuck u guys get screwed hard.

In Aus for a standard 38-40hr week job you get 4 weeks per year and it starts counting from day 1

Posted by: diane26 Mar 13 2006, 01:55 AM

I'm so moving!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: juicy_DD Mar 13 2006, 07:40 AM

what an idea

I love my holidays I especially love america have been to Florida (twice), New York (twice), Las Vegas (four times), San Francisco, LA, Antigua, Jamaica, Kenya, Dubai, Canary Islands, Spain, Germany, Hawaii (this year), Mexico,Tunisia etc

Its my hobby and where most my money goes but I couldnt think of anything better, what better way to escape from people, troubles, work etc just bloody brilliant!

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 13 2006, 12:11 PM

As in Medaw Lake Saskatchewan?!?! I never thought in a million years Sask. would make the list of travel destinations, although if you like fishing, we have some of the best in the world. And you won't die from mercury poisoning eating them lol.

Anyway back to holidays. In Canada you get 15 work days off a year. So inclding weekends it equals 3 weeks. Not nearly enough. I've read in many European countries and now I see Australia as well, you get way more time off. It's just not in the mindset over here. It's like, if you take a lot of holidays you are lazy and would be better off working. I think if people had more time off though, they would work harder when they were at work. But whatever.

I think the reason a lot of N. Americans don't travel to other countries as much as say Europeans is because the countries are so big and diverse. I have a friend living in Poland and he travels to Czech Repuplic, Germany, Slovakia all the time. Well it's easy when you can just hop on a train and do it. Here it is a little more involved. In Canada, some of our provinces are as big as some countries. So just by staying within the boarders of my own country I have a lot of cool places to visit and it would take weeks just to travel from one side of Canada to the other. I don't get as much cultural diversity as going to different countries, but I generally don't like people lol, and would rather visit some lake in the middle of nowhere and camp and canoe.

But aside from Canada I have been to Mexico and Hawaii and those are fun to go to as a break during the winter. I also go down to the US every once in a while to stock up on cheap American alcohol as the border in only an hour away. But mostly I am too broke to go anywhere good even if I did have more time off. My wife is a travel agent but that doesn't much matter, cuz we can get cheap airfare but once we get there we'd have no mney to spend anyway lol. But such is life.

That is all.

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 13 2006, 09:14 PM

Why not Europe??

And you guys have my sympathy....I get 30 days a year paid holiday

And like juicy, I LOVE my holidays! Thinking of Lake Louise next year for skiing...any reports, good or bad?

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 14 2006, 12:02 PM

Not me, I hate time off from work, I wish I could never leave lol

Lake Louise kicks ass for skiing and snowboarding plus you get some of the nicest scenery in all of Canada. But beware if you head up to Banff, I've heard it called the STD tourist capital of the world, but it's beautiful otherwise, watch for bears!

Plus I'm only a days drive away, wanna hookup? (Don't worry, I'm healthy as a horse.....not a drip.)

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 14 2006, 06:35 PM

damn thats 6 weeks.... so thats why there are brits in Bondi all year round!

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 14 2006, 06:40 PM

I thought it would be bondi in the brits, but to each his own. not that there's anything wrong with that

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 14 2006, 06:51 PM

*hangs his head in shame*

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 14 2006, 06:53 PM

BAM!

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 15 2006, 08:45 PM

Boys, boys!! I'd accommodate you both anytime!!

Trust you are looking after the Queen, bondi? And looks like Australia are planning to simply outnumber the other teams at the Games!!

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 16 2006, 06:21 AM

Apart from Gnappy no one would know what we are talking about!

I guess the host nation gets to throw in some extra athletes!

The Queen is doing fine although she has mainly been in melbourne. Did you see the ceremony???

I was dissapointed the whole rendition of "god save the queen" wasnt belted out because I love that anhtem... its so rousing!

Did you see the final singer, Delta Goodrem? Isn't she just the most beautiful thing?

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 16 2006, 11:42 AM

I DO know what you're talking about but I didn't watch the opening ceremonies. I have got to get into the spirit of summer games since I just finished watching the winter olympics and am still shovelling snow off my walk!

Here's to Canada kicking some Commonwealth ass!

Posted by: natalie Mar 16 2006, 03:55 PM

O.K. our vacation time officially sucks and I wish I had never read how much time you people are given because it's making me depressed. With only having two weeks off it's hard not to feel obligated to go see family because it's the only time we can. Having kids complicates things too because we only see family once a year and I think it's important for kids to grow up surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Plus we don't have the money to go anywhere. Growing up I was fortunate to have been to New York (twice), Florida, Detroit Michigan, Minnesota and Washington but that's about the extent of my travels. Maybe that will change one day. I have a lot of family in Poland, France and other parts but doubt I'll ever meet them which is sad because i never grew up knowing my Polish heritage, seeing pictures or being taught the language even though my dad lived in Poland until he was 18! How weird is that? I'm half Polish and I know five words.

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 16 2006, 04:35 PM

Are any of them swear words?

Posted by: natalie Mar 16 2006, 04:38 PM

Are any of them swear words?

Well one is sort-of like calling someone a dipshit according to my father. Too bad he called my mother it all the time. Now he's a true dipshit....motherfucker...asshole...bastard.....I could go on.

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 16 2006, 04:47 PM

I get the picture...

Posted by: johnny wadd Mar 16 2006, 04:56 PM

[quote=sweetnsexy,Mar 13 2006, 10:14 PM]
Why not Europe??
If they had a Tour to your house sweety,I would make an exception and be there.

Posted by: somfan Mar 17 2006, 12:50 AM

It amazes me that in supposedly the country with the highest standard of living in the world (the USA), Americans put up with such piddly ass vacation benefits.

Most American workers get no more than 2 weeks paid vacation -- many workers get none. Certainly most of the 5% of the workforce that are undocumented Mexican workers get none. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for high income
Americans to take unpaid leave to travel, if they do not get paid leave.

Americans have often settled for more toys to play with on their non-vacations rather than more time to spend with family and friends. In the US there is a lot of bullshit about family values -- but those values do not include getting time off work for maternity leave, family emergencies or recreation.

The situation is unlikely to improve any time soon, because of global economic pressures and the decline of organized labor in the US.

In egalitarian societies like Australia and Scandinavia with their strong unions and love of outdoor recreation, time off work is strongly valued.

I'll get off my soap box here. BTW, I've traveled quite a lot - Australia, Southeast Asia, all over Europe numerous times including Russia. I particularly like the American West though. I'm a native of Montana and like the wide open spaces. But Saturday I'm off for 10 days in Hawaii.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 17 2006, 03:25 AM

Dude that has less chance of happening than evade discovering the cure for cancer!



I hear what u are saying. Aussies get angry that we get 4 weeks paid leave per year.... we want more! I couldnt believe that most yanks only get 2 weeks

Hope u enjoed Australia.... where'd ya go?

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 17 2006, 12:40 PM

I agree with a lot of that. I live in Canada and it is slightly better depending on what province you're from. But I just fouund out recently that mothers only get 6 weeks maternity leave in the US?!?! SIX WEEKS!?! In Canada you get one year paid off and they are thinking of making it 2.

Posted by: summoner Mar 17 2006, 12:58 PM

6 weeks?!?! Thatīs terrible!! Here you will have 9 months maternity leave and after that you can have few months more if you want and after that you can be home with little money to that year when you younges kid turns three I was home "only" 1,5 year and then went to school..

Posted by: diane26 Mar 17 2006, 03:11 PM

They work us to death in america. I think I am gonna move.

Like in 10 years when the boys are a lot older I think I will move to another country. Why live life if you are worked to death and never have time to afford to or enjoy anything. Being in the medical profession I can find work anywhere around the world.

I wanted to retire to a nice area of Mexico but now I am considering Austrailia.

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 17 2006, 07:04 PM

Maternity leave here depends on your company but its usually 1 year paid at full rate or 2 years paid at half rate

Posted by: diane26 Mar 17 2006, 07:31 PM

Here it is 6 weeks and lowerclass jobs not even paid just wont loose your hob if you take off 6 weeks. Some companies have 12 weeks but not sure if paid.

Posted by: Bobaloo Mar 17 2006, 09:25 PM

I know da may boo-shay (phonetic)

My friend's dog also was trained in polish. i could tell you to sit, lay down, and beg.

Posted by: somfan Mar 18 2006, 12:52 AM

Trip to Australia: we started out in Sydney then traveled by train all the way to Cairns, shifting from standard gauge to narrow gauge in Brisbane.
Got a rental car in Cairns, traveling into the Atherton Tablelands and then up to Port Douglas and Daintree.Spent some time on Fraser Island and went diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Had a fantastic time and saw all kinds of wildlife and sea creatures. Certainly I'd like to go back and visit other regions. I was thoroughly impressed with the country and its friendly people. Especially the food was fantastic, much more variety, fresh vegetables and seafood and ethnic cuisines - something that I wasn't really expecting. , mate.

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 18 2006, 08:47 PM

Who cares if no-one knows what we're taking about....it's my normal state of affairs!!

I saw most of the ceremony - and agree about Delta - she is very pretty. And I'm impressed that she could sing with all that smoke billowing around....and those skaters with the fireworks on their backs....way cool, but that has got to be scary!!!!

Posted by: Fleck Mar 19 2006, 12:38 AM

sucks for you guys! Im going to be a teacher, so every summer off! yeah teachers get shitty pay, but if you only worked 3/4 of the year youd be ok with it!

I cant wait to go on vacations!! I think im going to Italy first...

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 19 2006, 01:57 AM

For all of you non-Americans, don't rest on your laurels too long.

With globalization, there is tremendous natural and unnatural pressures to even the playing field in terms of labor markets, pay and benefits. That means, over the long run, less vacation time, etc. for countries that have historically had a lot of it.

Unnatural pressures would be some of the labor laws that have been enacted as the EU emerged. In order to joing the EU, countries have had to change certain labor laws to allow uniformity between countries.

Natural pressures, in my view, include what is going on in France right now. In order to encourage businesses to higher more youths and minorities, the government there is pushing legislation that will allow employers to lay off/terminate an employ for any reason in their first year or two. Employers say this will encourage them to higher more young workers and reduce the high unemployment levels of youths and immigrants. However, for those in France used to protected jobs, this is a shock to the system. For this reason, right now in France, there are demonstrations, bordering on riots against this. In the United States, this type of employer-employee relationship is a big yawn.

So, just don't get too comfortable.....

Posted by: summoner Mar 19 2006, 02:19 AM

I think that itīs terrible what they are doing in France right now....Se had a strike here because our professional drivers (trucks, bus etc.) think that firms are using too much people that has only a appointed time deal...the strike lasted about a week and then they made a good deal I hope that next strike that we have is about nurses pay, we donīt get enough money for our work (even busdriver is earning more money than a nurse!)

I think that our goverment donīt have guts to cut our vacation the whole country would be just a one big strike

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 19 2006, 02:29 AM

I understand what you are saying, Summoner. Pure capitalism can be de-humanizing and lead to worsening working conditions.

However, with globalization what you have is the ability of companies -- particularly, transnational companies -- to move operations and manufacturing to areas with lower costs. This has happened a lot in the United States with manufacturing. Manufacturing jobs have moved to Mexico, China, and a zillion other places. A lot of high-tech jobs (software engineering, call centers) have moved to places like India.

Nursing, and other similar jobs, is relatively protected from something like this because you can't do it remotely. It's in person. But then, people import nurses from third-world countries, where the people would jump at the chance to earn pay that we don't think is very good.

I may be wrong, but when Britain had its most protections for employees, it also had the highest unemployment rate.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 19 2006, 02:36 AM

Stop scaring me OB

Posted by: Isaac_Putin Mar 19 2006, 03:09 AM

Don't be scared, Diane. The United States functions pretty mean and lean -- it's countries with high benefits that have to worry about how to sustain them. Sweden used to provide all kinds of incredible benefits for employees - health, vacation, etc. But the country was going bankrupt trying to do this and compete with other countries at the same time. It ended the worker's paradise model. Germany, another country that has tremendous worker benefits has a huge unemployment rate right now. It can't compete with a lot of other countries when it has to pay its workers so much in terms of combined pay and benefits.

The important rule to live by is "don't fool yourself" - am I good at my job? Am I increasing my skills? Do I have positive visibility within my company?

Also, always be thinking about pursuing a job that a) you really like, and you can distinguish yourself in with unique capabilities. If you can achieve , you can earn money that is atypical and above the typical levels of pay. The best ways of achieving are:

1. Be innovative. Come up with cool new ideas for how to do things and how to make better products or provide better services.

2. Be a crucial part of cash flow. Do things that make your company/organization more revenue (or save them revenue). People will notice and pay you accordingly.

2. Be irreplaceable. Someone who, if they left, would tear the heart out of their company.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 19 2006, 03:23 AM

I'm scared cause I wanna move to Aussie land and dont want to move from here to be worked to death there:P

A fun job I think would to be a PI I would be good at that:D

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 20 2006, 11:53 AM

I can't do any of that! I'm just gonna quit, move to the woods and keep a journal of my thoughts.



Australia? Stalking bondi I presume?

Posted by: diane26 Mar 20 2006, 12:50 PM

Shhhhhhhhhh its a secret;)



It is that or Mexico. I used to say canada but I need the tropics.

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 20 2006, 08:50 PM

The tropics and it's further away from Gnappy.

Posted by: diane26 Mar 20 2006, 08:53 PM

Can NO ONE keep a secret anymore. Good Grief.

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 20 2006, 09:00 PM

OOPS, you didn't say that was a secret.

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 20 2006, 10:49 PM

Where did this thread go from talking about holidays (nice thread) to a bloody economic thesis??

BTW, I'm on holiday again next month

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 20 2006, 10:52 PM

That sucks, I gotta save my 2 weeks. 1 week between Christmas and New Year's to go visit family and the other for anything fun that might come up. I need more vaca time.

Oh yea, Sweet, have a nice holiday, going anywhere?

Posted by: diane26 Mar 20 2006, 10:57 PM

I guess Vegas didnt sound fun enough.

Posted by: belicked6924 Mar 20 2006, 10:59 PM

Vegas sounds like a lot of fun especially about 2 weeks from now, just bad timing.

Posted by: Gnappster Mar 21 2006, 11:21 AM

I'm solely responsible for the declining population of my province

Posted by: bondiguy Mar 22 2006, 12:14 AM

Sweet trip dude! I have been to most of those places, the REEF is my fav. loved it! In Aus we have varied cuisine due to our high number of different nationalites living here! Glad you had a good time!



I thought as a whole it was a bit passe but I am not one for Ceremonies like that. They bore me. Delta is a pure talent and the fact she is just divine to look at is a bonus!



If you work more than 40 hours per week here people may start to think you are a terrorist as NO AUSSIE works hard

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 22 2006, 10:10 PM

I am off to Cyprus.....ah! ...sun at last!!

Posted by: penelope Mar 23 2006, 07:56 AM

So am I.
Off at end of may.

Posted by: NUTTER Mar 23 2006, 08:57 AM

Lucky buggers all i get is a weekend in filey

Posted by: diane26 Mar 23 2006, 01:35 PM

I am off to Vegas in a week and a half never been and going with friends WOOHOO


**can you tell I am getting just a little excited**

Posted by: sweetnsexy Mar 24 2006, 08:30 PM

Just be warned...last time I was there I got married!!

I'm sure you will have a great time...I love the place!!