Work Hard, Vacation Hard

Our study abroad experience has been nothing short of hard work. Balancing all the demands of a research-based course (e.g., scheduled class time, interviews, transcriptions, drafting papers, coding) has been challenging. Recently, I have found myself getting caught up in deadlines and the stress of finding women to interview. These realities led me to a point where I forgot the reason I am here: my passion for women’s health. I was focusing far too heavily on the end result, rather than being in the moment and taking it one day at a time. I knew once the weekend rolled around, it was the perfect moment to get away and rejuvenate.

Last weekend, my roommate and I went on an adventure to the Amalfi Coast. The journey began Friday evening when we boarded a late-night train from Florence and arrived in Salerno (a southern coastal city) around midnight. The following morning, we woke up early and walked directly to the port where we stepped onto a ferry headed towards the town of Amalfi. The ferry ride was breathtaking. All I could focus on was the beautiful rocky coastline meeting the sparkling turquoise sea.

It was in this moment when I felt all the stress wash away (no pun intended). There was not a worry in my soul as I looked over the side of the boat at the colorful villages wedged on the side of the cliffs overlooking the sea. My mind was finally at ease.

I can equate my weekend trip to the Italian concept of “Going on Holiday.” Each year, Italians (as part of the EU) receive 20 days of paid holiday and 12 days of paid public holidays, according to a report by the Center for Economic Policy and Research (Schmitt, 2007). In the months of July and August, it is very common for Italians to take a leave from work and go on holiday for 2-3 weeks. This usually means going to the sea or the northern lake region, such as Garda, Como, and Maggiore. It is a tradition for families to momentarily escape the grind of their daily routines to improve their mental and physical health.  

The concept of going on holiday and the benefits seem obvious to most of us. Numerous studies have cited the importance of vacation and the impact it has on mental and physical health. It has long been established that vacationing is vital in terms of improving overall happiness. Relaxation time provides a momentary leave from the source of the tension, which ultimately alleviates stress by decreasing the amount of cortisol and epinephrine in the bloodstream. Persistent stress is linked to mental illness, high blood pressure, and increases the risk for heart attacks (Ravn, 2007).

It is a shame that the United States does not take holiday leave as seriously as Italy. The typical American worker has no required vacation days, but gets an average of ten paid by their employer and six as public holidays (Schmitt, 2007). An interesting statistic from the Washington Post claims that many Americans do not take time off and that there are an estimated 577 million vacation days unused each year (Schulte, 2014). It is well noted that Americans spend more money on health care and yet, Europeans, with their 30 days of vacation, live longer.

It is time to start taking your vacation to heart.

This post was written by Chandler Dykstra, a sophomore studying Nutrition Science. She intends to go to medical school and specialize in endocrinology.

Ravn, K. (2007, July 16). Take vacation advice to heart. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trw-vacation16jul16-story.html

Schmitt, R. R. (2007, May). No-Vacation Nation. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from http://cepr.net/publications/reports/no-vacation-nation

Schulte, B. (2014, August 01). Latest research: Why everyone should take vacation. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2014/08/01/would-we-be-happier-if-we-all-vacationed-at-once-yes-research-says/?utm_term=.1a5ef783ddd6