This is simply a topic for discussion. It's Friday, after all.

I love to travel. If I'm not on a trip, I'm planning my next trip (or two, or three . . .). I like my job, but I NEED to have a trip to look forward to at all times, it just puts an extra bounce in my step.
I've often daydreamed about winning the lottery, never working again, and traveling the world. Now I'm not so sure. I think part of the pure pleasure of certain trips comes from leaving behind the office and day-to-day work. I'm not sure I would enjoy traveling 300 days out of the year. I'd miss the structure of home, and would feel kind of useless if I wasn't working, contributing to something -- it is satisfying.
Anyone care to comment?

Well, I can't respond fully, but I share the same dream -- win the lotto and do nothing but travel.
On the other hand, since taking early retirement seven years ago, I do a lot of traveling including up to 5 months at a time in Europe. People can't believe we can stay on the go that long, but each time we do it, as we are about to finally return home, my partner and I each look at each other and say, "are you ready to go home?" "no, are you?"
So I think I could do it permanently. Have seriously thought of selling things here or renting out the home for a two year period and traveling for two years. Don't know if we will or not, but seriously thinking. . .

I too would travel at will if I could afford to but money or not as the mother of 2 school-agers I couldn't do it all the time. However, I do think I would spend the entire summer at the beach and/or traveling around the world as well as any other vacations they have. As for contributing to something, I too would probably need something to do. I would volunteer for whatever interests me. The kids' school, church, the zoo, the art museum, whatever.... Then you can do just as much as you want and not let it cut into your travel plans. Even if the my travels weren't as eagerly anticipated as the 2-3 trips/year I currently take, I'd still prefer to be able to go more rather than less!

If I could travel at will,
It would be as satisfying.
I would still enjoy the planning and thinking it where and when.
It would just be easy to do rather than making it wait until there was enough money saved.
I would also stay longer than I do now when on a trip.

Simple human nature question here.

Too much of anything good dulls the palate and reduces enjoyment.

Whether it's food, nice hotels, nice home, nice cars.

I speak from experience. Having climbed the ladder a long way (having started out with nothing), I've got a $100,000 car, multimillion $$ home, been to most of the great travel destinations, 3 months of vacation per year.
Taking a break from travel makes you appreciate it more, but overall I definitely enjoy the best resorts less than I did when I first began to make some money 25 years ago.
The cars don't thrill the same way.
The best hotels aren't as nice as home (but the service is better ).
I still enjoy good food as much as I used to.

In answer to the original question: no way would you enjoy travelling as much idf you did it 300 days per year.

What's your favorite food?
Would you still enjoy it as much if you ate it 3 times a day for a month?

Allen, can you take me with you? You can regain your wide-eyed enjoyment of these fabulous destinations through my eyes! (Just kidding!)

Allen..you would give it all up to be 6 foot,have hair,and a personality to go with it.

Happy, are you kidding?

After I graduated from college I backpacked around Europe for 18 months before I started grad school. It was the most wonderful time of my life.

The Amalfi Coast is still the Amalfi Coast money or no money.

Now here will come all the little people with "I CAN afford to travel as much as I want"...just watch.

Happy, I think it would probably be more satisfying. I often find we're wasting hard earned money on vacations that turn out to be anything but a bargain. Not that we're always looking for a bargain or that we're cheap, just that we don't like feeling ripped off. If we won the lottery, I doubt this would be an issue.

And the other small minded comment people here always seem to make is 'no one with money would read this site...blah blah...they all have personal assistants'.
Having a few million $$ these days doesn't make someone exotically wealthy, and I'm not in position to buy the Dallas Cowboys.
I am a 6 foot, 'fully haired' male who is at home today hacking away at a writing project which has nothing to do with my work.
I browse the Euro and US forums here because there are often interesting discussions and tips about cities and restaurants I've never visited.

Allen is correct. In fact, if you notice, the most wealthy and carefree people in this country are usually working, worried, and restless with too much vacation. Retirement can be little more than that aimless time before you die if poorly contemplated. Although I enjoy travel and vacation, more than four weeks of vacation a year makes me feel bad. I just cannot remain unproductive that long, even if I have the means. Much of the joy of travel is the planning and anticipation. When the exotic is everyday, the mind grows weary.

No, definetly not. For myself and many others, half the pleasure is in the planning, and the anticipation of the trip.
Since I'm far from "rich" though, I guess I won't find out any time soon! HA HA

"Just worry," you hit it on the head. When I'm on vacation too long (especially a relaxing vacation), I become physically and mentally stagnant. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE trips and vacations, but I'm figuring out that I can't be gone too long. Perhaps I just need a Ritalin prescription, but I get antsy. It's also really hard to get back into my routine when I come home, so I fall into a funk.

Just worry: More than 4 weeks vacation a year makes you feel bad?

Do you realize the national average for paid vacation in this country is under 2 weeks?

Pretentious.

Just because you won the lottery doesn't mean you'd have to quit working. All it means is that you could quit working at things you didn't enjoy just to make a living.

I'd work at things I truly loved doing but which don't pay much (or anything), like creating art and music, or volunteering.

I'd hardly travel every day of the year but would sure love to travel more than the measly two weeks a typical American worker gets for vacation each year.

For 2003, I get three weeks personal (paid) vacation, two floating holidays, and 10 company holidays. It still doesn't seem like enough -- your vacations expand to fit whatever # of days of you get (kind of like how your household spending expands to match your earnings, so you always have about the same amount of $ left over -- or not -- at the end of the month).
My vacation dates go quickly because I always seem to have at least one wedding to attend per year (this year it's two), plus all of my relatives (and my husband's relatives) live in different states and we try to see parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. After all of those trips, plus at least one or two that are just for US, and the vacation is gone. I already have every single trip mapped out for 2003. Whew. I dream of four weeks vacation per year.

By the way, vacation time is usually NEGOTIABLE. Next time you take a new job, ask for more vacation and you'll probably get it. (Salaried employees.) New hires always seem to take whatever is offered without any negotiation -- it will hurt you later.

"[email protected]": NewsFlash: Vacation time has opportunity cost (read lost earnings) when one is self-employed. The self-employed such as me pay for my actual costs plus opportunity cost when on vacation or sick. When you are the employer and the employee nobody gives you ANY paid vacation or any other type of leave. Rather than "pretentious", maybe I should be envious of the average worker with two paid weeks of vacation, sick leave, etc. Now wipe that scowl off your pretty little face and feel good about yourself.

Really [email protected]. Read the question at the top of this thread. Who did you expect to reply, the Fodor minions? If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the sidelines.

I do and it is.