When you work in a country like the U.S., and in a city that is as competitive and work-obsessed as New York, it’s always amusing to hear people’s reactions when you tell them that you will be out of the office for more than five consecutive business days. If you tell them that you will be out for 2+ weeks, be prepared for them to respond with, “wow” or some other surprised gesture or facial expression. The U.S. doesn’t recognize paid time off as something that you really deserve or should take advantage of; we’re a capitalist economy that strives to work everyone to death unless you are the upper 1% who doesn’t really need to work. People pride themselves on saying that they don’t want or don’t need to take a vacation. I have colleagues now who ridicule other colleagues in their mid-twenties for taking vacations in excess of four to five days. This is the world I choose to live in and be a part of.

So you can imagine my reaction when I was on our day trip tour outside of Chiangmai, visiting Doi Inthanon National Park in Thailand, when a German woman announced to our small group of six that “my holiday is just 22 days, so I’m only visiting Thailand on this trip.” Just 22 days? I couldn’t help but laugh and call her out on it.

“It’s clear that you are not American because no American would ever say she is on holiday for ‘just’ 22 days,” I said, laughing, and everyone else in the van laughed in response. We were in a car of one German, two Italians, three Hong Kong citizens, Chris as an Australian living in the U.S., and me, the sad American.

Every time I hear something like this, a part of me feels pain and wonders if I really belong in the U.S. Clearly, I live a privileged life, and I do not feel sorry for myself at all, but these conversations on principle make me so angry. Why should any American feel guilty to take a holiday for two weeks or 22 days? Why have we done this to ourselves? There’s so much here I just do not agree with. But the grass always seems greener on the other side. So what would I really miss here, other than family and friends, if I were to leave?