Vacations as a State of Mind: Too expensive for the American Family
Check out this NY Times article Pfffttt! There Goes the Vacation, which chronicles the squeeze many Americans are feeling when it comes to taking their vacation this year. With gas prices rising and the cost of living impacting so many, reporter Alex Willams explores the compromises and sacrifices inherent to getting away from it all.
To most Americans, a summer getaway is a crucial component of the life-work compact: they trade 50 weeks of cubicle-bound servitude for two weeks of sun-dappled bliss, and it seems worth it (well, almost).
But halfway through the 2008 season, vacationers (and would-be vacationers) are being squeezed by a confluence of dismal economic realities: fuel prices that have nearly doubled since the start of last year; airlines that have jacked up fares 17 percent since the start of the year; a dollar that stands like a pygmy alongside foreign currencies.
Have your travel plans changed? Are you still planning on getting away this summer or is it just too much?
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Pink Slip Nation (host) Updated: Jul 24, 2008
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Comments
I was a little disappointed in that NY Times article.
Agreed that a lot fewer people are able to take "island" vacations, but they made it sound like having a "staycation" meant an entire week of sitting in front of the TV at home. Show a little creativity! Those who don't live near a large city may have to be a little more creative, but those of us who do have so much at our disposal. Eh...this is just why I get frustrated by the media sometimes. Can we just encourage people to make the best out of what they have? That article seemed to perpetuate a sense of self-pity...
"Uh, my staycation made me do it!"