Work to live or live to work?
There’s just one bit of American-ness that I can’t seem to shake: being a workaholic. Despite living in a country with a 35-hour work week and a minimum of one month of vacation a year, I can’t bring myself to say no to additional work (and money in the bank).
Within a week of arriving in Nice, I had two part-time jobs: waitressing in an Irish pub and helping out with administrative and technical tasks for a cooking school. Throw in five mornings of French classes a week, and I was pleasantly busy—but still with plenty of time for day trips to surrounding villages and relaxing on the beach.
Flash forward four months, and I’m working full-time as a waitress and bartender as well as acting as a cooking class assistant a few days a week. My French classes have stopped, and I can barely find time to write, let alone do cool things to write about.
But if I want to be a writer, I have to give myself time to write. And if I want to be a travel writer, the whole traveling thing is also important. More than that, if I want to enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle, I need to learn how to take a break.
Easier said than done: Americans learn early on that more work, more reward. We’re taught in school that an extra hour of studying can mean the difference between letter grades; an extra few hours at work can make or break your career. And money is often seen as the end, instead of a means to an end: money in the bank is more important than the lifestyle we’re living.
The thing is, it shouldn’t be about the money. I came over with enough in savings to cover my rent and French classes, and I made enough working part-time to cover food and fun expenses. Still, it’s hard to say no to crisp Euro bills that mean I won’t have a credit card balance at the end of the month.
And it shouldn’t be about getting ahead in my career, although I do enjoy my jobs. Being a cooking class assistant for Les Petits Farcis is the closest thing to a perfect job there is: I get paid to listen to great cooking advice, wash some dishes and enjoy a four-course meal. I’ve found that I love waitressing and bartending: I’m constantly on my feet, chatting with people, making customers happy. It’s everything that was missing in a cubicle job. It’s not necessarily a career path, but it’s a pretty fun way to pay the rent.
Writing is my passion, but I haven’t put the necessary time and effort in to make it my career. While that’s the ultimate goal, I think I’d rather enjoy “working holidays” around the world (and the low pressure lifestyle that comes with it) before I become serious about my career—even if that leaves me feeling a bit lame and guilty as I watch friends climb up the career ladder.
How do you combat American workaholic culture? How do you balance work and lifestyle, particularly as a travel blogger?
