Jobs with Long Vacations

Serious marketers be fore-warned! I'm veering WAY off my normal direct marketing topics today.

I have the mid-Summer blues. Too much work; too much worrying about this dreadful economy; not enough fun. So, when the leading headline on my Yahoo home-page was: Jobs with Long Vacations, I just had to read more.

To set the stage and, possibly, to get you more disgruntled and stir-crazy:

"Compared with workers in other countries, Americans work too much. We take little time off for rest and pleasure. More than half of us don't use any vacation time at all, adding up to more than 421 million unused vacation days a year. We're workaholics.

Most Americans only earn on average 14 vacation days a year, compared with our Italian counterparts (42 days a year), the French (37), Germans (35), and Canadians (26). Even the Japanese--long considered the most over-worked people on Earth--average 25 vacation days a year. No wonder American job burnout is common from coast to coast."

So, what are the five miracle jobs that can save us from our workaholic state, those with the most time off?

1. Teachers and School Administrators. OK, I can buy that. But, after months of dealing with screaming brats, they need the rest, right?
2. Holistic Health Professionals. Such as massage therapists. Hmmm. Not for me--too touchy-feely.
3. Freelance Game Designer. Oh, if only I were so technical, and imaginative. I think I'm too old to learn these new tricks. Darn.
4. Convention and Tourism Planner. Now this one sounds like fun! Right up my alley.
5. Business Consultant. Oh no--wait just one minute! This sounds like my very own profession. What the heck am I doing wrong????

In all seriousness, I DO have a vacation planned late September (Maui for my honeymoon!). It's important to balance work with fun. Workaholics definitely are NOT fun...